कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् | कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ||१-३९||
kathaṃ na jñeyamasmābhiḥ pāpādasmānnivartitum . kulakṣayakṛtaṃ doṣaṃ prapaśyadbhirjanārdana ||1-39||
Chapter 1 · Verse 39
Arjuna Visada Yoga
अर्जुनविषादयोग
In plain words
You are being urged to take responsibility and turn away from harmful actions when you are wise enough to see their consequences. Arjuna argues that since he understands the evil of destroying a family, he must not commit this sin. He wants to use his jnana, or spiritual discrimination, to avoid bad karma, which means the painful fruits of wrong actions.
Translation
1.39 Why should we not learn to shun this crime - we who see the evil of ruining a clan, O Krsna?
Meaning
Ignorance of law is no excuse but wanton sinful conduct is a grave crime unworthy of us who are wiser.
Word by word
कथम् why न not ज्ञेयम् should be learnt अस्माभिः by us पापात् from sin अस्मात् this निवर्तितुम् to turn away कुलक्षयकृतम् in the destruction of families दोषम् evil प्रपश्यद्भिः clearly seeing जनार्दन O Janardana.