Bhagavad Gita 1.43 · Arjuna
The fabric of a community
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः।
उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः॥
doṣairetaiḥ kulaghnānāṃ varṇasaṅkarakārakaiḥutsādyante jātidharmāḥ kuladharmāśca śāśvatāḥ
Through the faults of those who destroy families, the long-standing duties of community and family are lost.
Words
- dharma
What it means
Arjuna sums up his fear. If families are destroyed, the age-old duties that held communities together will vanish. He uses dharma again, meaning the roles and responsibilities people shared. His deeper worry is about losing structure, meaning and belonging, all at once.
The story
Arjuna has spent many verses on this one fear. It shows how seriously he takes his responsibility. Krishna will honour that seriousness. But he will ask Arjuna to find a dharma that doesn't depend on any family, community or outcome.
In your life
Think of a small town after the factory closes. The jobs go, then the clubs, the choir, the local team. When a community you love is fading, start one small thing that brings people together. Then keep it going.
Communities survive when someone keeps showing up.