We should know better

kathaṃ na jñeyamasmābhiḥ pāpādasmānnivartitumkulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ prapaśyadbhirjanārdana

But we see clearly the harm of destroying a family, Janardana. Why shouldn't we know to turn away from this wrong?

What it means

Arjuna makes his strongest point. The Kauravas are blinded. But we can see. And if we see the harm, aren't we responsible for stepping back? It's a serious moral argument. Many listeners agree with him here. The Gita takes him seriously too, before showing what he is missing.

The story

Arjuna sounds like a philosopher now, not a frightened soldier. Yet his whole argument rests on one goal, avoiding loss. Krishna will widen the frame. What happens to the people this war is meant to protect if he simply walks away?

In your life

Imagine a doctor who can see a treatment's side effects clearly. Seeing the harm matters. So does seeing what happens without treatment. When you weigh a choice, look at the cost of doing nothing too.