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The Bhagavad Gita · 3 of 3 · tr. Kashinath Trimbak Telang

Chapter I, Section 1c

In consequence of the predominance of impiety, O K ri sh n a! the women of the family become corrupt ; and the women becoming corrupt, O descendant of V ri sh n i! intermingling of castes results; that intermingling necessarily leads the family and the destroyers of the family to hell; for when the ceremonies of (offering) the balls of food and water (to them) fail , their ancestors fall down (to hell). By these transgressions of the destroyers of families, which occasion interminglings of castes, the eternal rites of castes and rites, of families are subverted. And O G anârdana! we have heard that men whose family-rites are subverted, must necessarily live in hell. Alas! we are engaged in committing a heinous sin, seeing that we are making efforts for killing our own kinsmen out of greed of the pleasures of sovereignty. If the sons of Dh ri tarâsh t ra, weapon in hand, should kill me in battle, me weaponless and not defending (myself), that would be better for me. Sañ g aya said: Having spoken thus, Ar g una cast aside his bow together with the arrows, on the battle-field, and sat down in (his) chariot, with a mind agitated by grief.
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Themes
◆Ancestor Venerationpraxis

Ritual maintenance of relationship with the dead as ongoing presences whose favour is cultivated and whose offence is propitiated. Shinto uji-gami and obon, Norse disir and the alfablot, Celtic samhain and the feast for the deceased, Roman lares and parentalia, Chinese ancestor rites, Vedic śrāddha. Practice-coded rather than belief-coded: distinct from soul_migration (cosmological doctrine of soul-transmigration) and theosis_deification (deification trajectory); ancestor_veneration centres the living's ongoing ritual obligation to the dead.

The text explicitly details the failure of 'balls of food and water' offerings to ancestors as a direct cause for their fall into hell, making the ritual maintenance of relationship with the dead a central theme.

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◆Asha Cosmic Ordercosmology

Truth as the fundamental structure of reality.

The passage describes the catastrophic collapse of social and ritual order (Dharma) resulting from impiety, mirroring the Zoroastrian concept of Asha as the fundamental structure of reality that must be maintained.

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◆Renunciation Of Wealthethics

The spiritual danger of attachment to material possessions; wealth as a spiritual obstacle.

Arjuna identifies the 'greed of the pleasures of sovereignty' as the root cause of the heinous sin of killing kinsmen, highlighting material attachment as a spiritual obstacle.

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Related passages · 3 parallels
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCVIII
“XCVIII. Self-indulgence of Sinners: Sin originated by Man: all Sin recorded in Heaven: Woes for the Sinners . CHAPTER XCVIII. 1. And now I swear unto you, to the wise and to the foolish, For ye shall have manifold experiences on the earth.…”
Both passages discuss the consequences of moral transgressions and the resulting downfall of individuals and society. They share a conceptual parallel in the theme of moral decay leading to severe consequences, including divine judgment and punishment.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCIX
“XCIX. Woes pronounced on the Godless, the Lawbreakers: evil Plight of Sinners in the last Days: further Woes . CHAPTER XCIX. 1. Woe to you who work godlessness, And glory in lying and extol them: Ye shall perish, and no happy life shall be…”
Both passages discuss the consequences of moral decay and the transgression of divine or natural laws, leading to societal collapse and personal ruin. They share a conceptual parallel in their warnings about the dire outcomes of unrighteous actions.
◆jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter C
“C. The Sinners destroy each other: Judgement of the fallen Angels: the Safety of the Righteous: further Woes for the Sinners . CHAPTER C. 1. And in those days in one place the fathers together with their sons shall be smitten And brothers o…”
Both passages discuss the consequences of moral decay and the impending judgment for those who engage in sinful acts, including the destruction of one's own kin. They share a conceptual parallel in the theme of divine retribution and the subversion of societal and familial order due to impiety.