What were we thinking

aho bata mahatpāpaṃ kartuṃ vyavasitā vayamyadrājyasukhalobhena hantuṃ svajanamudyatāḥ

Oh no, what a terrible wrong we were about to commit, ready to kill our own people for the pleasures of a kingdom.

What it means

Arjuna turns the blame on himself. Alas, he cries, we were about to commit a great pāpa, a great wrong. And for what, the comforts of a throne? He paints his own side's cause as greed. It's sincere. It's also unfair to himself. The Pandavas came for justice, not luxury.

The story

Despair often swings from blaming others to blaming ourselves. Arjuna does both in a few verses. Krishna will help him find the steady middle, seeing his duty clearly, without hatred for the enemy or contempt for himself.

In your life

Imagine someone who, after one argument, decides they're a terrible partner. That's not insight, it's despair. When you're hard on yourself, ask what a fair friend would say. Then say that to yourself.