Justice must not turn into revenge.
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra
निहत्य धार्तराष्ट्रान् नः का प्रीतिः स्याज्जनार्दन।पापमेवाश्रयेदस्मान् हत्वैतानाततायिनः।।
nihatya dhārtarāṣṭrān naḥ kā prītiḥ syāj janārdana pāpam evāśrayed asmān hatvaitān ātatāyinaḥ
Use this verse when you are tempted to respond harshly because you are right.
Meaning
O Janardana, what joy would be ours after killing the sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin alone would come to us by killing these aggressors.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Arjuna asks whether victory can bring joy if the heart feels stained. He is wrestling with justice, violence, guilt, and consequence.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse shows Arjuna’s moral sensitivity. He recognizes that the Kauravas are aggressors, yet he fears the karmic and emotional cost of killing them. His dilemma is not simple cowardice; it is an ethical crisis.
In modern life, we also face situations where others may be wrong, but our response can still damage our own integrity. Being right does not give unlimited permission to be cruel, reckless, or vengeful. The Gita will later teach action without hatred.
This verse prepares the reader to understand that dharma is not revenge; it is right action with inner clarity.
Read the traditional commentary
Arjuna introduces the language of sin (pāpa) for the first time. He asks: what satisfaction can come from killing, even killing aggressors who have wronged us? His question is genuine — the hollow victory, the survivor's guilt, the moral residue of killing even justifiable enemies — these are real. The question is not merely rhetorical.
However, he calls them 'ātatāyinaḥ' — aggressors, those who have committed the most grave offences (the seven traditional categories include arson, poisoning, murder, stealing, usurping land, abducting women, and seizing kingdom). Arjuna himself acknowledges their crimes, yet refuses to punish them. This internal contradiction will be central to Krishna's response: you call them aggressors but refuse to treat them as such. What underlying sentiment is driving this contradiction?
The name 'Janardana' — refuge of all beings, or one who grants boons — is chosen here with care. Arjuna is, beneath his arguments, calling out to the one who is the refuge of all. He is asking not just an intellectual question but an existential one: where does one go to find peace after this?
In daily life
Even when responding to wrongdoing, protect your own integrity.
A manager can address misconduct firmly without humiliating the employee publicly.
Try this today
Before responding to someone’s wrong action, write the cleanest firm response you can take.
I act firmly without hatred and protect my inner integrity.Reflect
Is my response seeking justice or emotional revenge?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘जनार्दन’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on confusion, in other chapters
- Verse 2.1 · SanjayaWhen we are most overwhelmed by emotion is precisely when we most need the clear wisdom of a true guide.
- Verse 3.2 · ArjunaWhen a teaching overwhelms you, ask sincerely for the one clear next step instead of drowning in every possibility.
- Verse 16.7Losing the sense of what is right to do and right to avoid is the first symptom of a life slipping into darkness.
- Verse 18.31A passion-clouded mind sees right and wrong but distorts them to fit its desires.
Swipe left for 1.37 · Painful does not always mean wrong; comfortable does not always mean right.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 1.36
Who says Bhagavad Gita 1.36, and to whom?
Sanjaya narrates to King Dhritarashtra in verse 1.36, in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma (Arjuna Vishada Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 1.36 mean?
O Janardana, what joy would be ours after killing the sons of Dhritarashtra? Sin alone would come to us by killing these aggressors. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 1.36 for daily life?
Even when responding to wrongdoing, protect your own integrity. A manager can address misconduct firmly without humiliating the employee publicly.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 1.36 mean?
निहत्य — after killing; धार्तराष्ट्रान् — the sons of Dhritarashtra; नः — for us; का प्रीतिः — what joy / satisfaction; स्यात् — would there be.
Where does verse 1.36 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 36 of 47 in Chapter 1, Arjuna's Dilemma. The next verse is 1.37.