Bhagavad Gita 1.35 · Arjuna
Not even for three worlds
एतान्न हन्तुमिच्छामि घ्नतोऽपि मधुसूदन।
अपि त्रैलोक्यराज्यस्य हेतोः किं नु महीकृते॥
etānna hantumicchāmi ghnato’api madhusūdanaapi trailokyarājyasya hetoḥ kiṃ nu mahīkṛte
Madhusudana, I don't want to kill them, even if they kill me, not even for all three worlds, let alone for this earth.
What it means
Arjuna draws a line. He will not kill his family, even to save his own life, even for the three worlds. That's earth, heaven and everything between. His stance is moving. It is also where the Gita's real question begins. Is refusing always right, if it abandons a duty to protect others?
The story
Arjuna calls Krishna Madhusudana, slayer of the demon Madhu. The irony is gentle. He asks the one who destroys wrong to help him avoid this fight. Krishna's answer will not be simple. It will take the rest of the Gita.
In your life
Think of a whistleblower torn between protecting colleagues and protecting the public. Saying no to harm is noble. But sometimes not acting also causes harm. Big choices deserve more than one feeling. Give yours time.
Some refusals need a second look.