कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः | धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नमधर्मोऽभिभवत्युत ||१-४०||
kulakṣaye praṇaśyanti kuladharmāḥ sanātanāḥ . dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnamadharmo.abhibhavatyuta ||1-40||
Chapter 1 · Verse 40
Arjuna Visada Yoga
अर्जुनविषादयोग
In plain words
You are being told to protect the sacred traditions that keep society upright. Arjuna warns that when a family is destroyed, its ancient dharma, meaning its righteous duties and spiritual traditions, is lost. Without these moral foundations, the entire family falls into lawlessness, trapping future generations in maya, the illusion of ignorance, and leading them away from spiritual truth.
Translation
1.40 With the ruin of a clan, perish its ancient traditions, and when traditions perish, lawlessness overtakes the whole clan
Meaning
Dharma -- the duties and ceremonies practised by the family in accordance with the injunctions of the scriptures.
Word by word
कुलक्षये in the destruction of a family प्रणश्यन्ति perish कुलधर्माः family religious rites सनातनाः immemorial धर्मे spirituality नष्टे being destroyed कुलम् कृत्स्नम् the whole family अधर्मः impiety अभिभवति overcomes उत indeed.