40. The elder members of the family bear age-old traditions, customs, ideals and noble values of a community, which they pass on to their next generations. These traditions help nurture moral values in families and build religious propriety in a society. If the elders die early, their valuable knowledge goes with them and in the absence of proper guidance, the next generation sways away from the virtuous path. Therefore, Arjun was of the opinion that the elders of a family should be spared.
41. Women occupied a very high status in Vedic society. For families to be religious, and societies to be moral, it is necessary that their women be virtuous. According to the Manu Smṛiti: yatra nāryas tu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ "Societies where women are worshiped, for they are chaste and virtuous, the celestial gods are joyous."
Arjun became concerned and started comprehending, "What would happen to the society in the absence of guidance and protection of elders? The women of the family may get misled." Therefore, Arjun said to Shree Krishna that if the women of the family turn towards immorality, and commit adultery, they would bear illegitimate children. This would not only destroy peace and happiness of the future generations but also deprive the ancestors of their Vedic rites. Family traditions will be abandoned and the welfare of society will be at stake.
42-46. Arjun was surprised; despite being aware that this war would only bring misfortune to all, those who were in the battlefield and the families they would leave behind; they were all hankering to commit this sin. He started with the word "aho," which means 'alas'. He had enumerated all the possible catastrophes that were imminent if this war took place, but he was ignoring the very fact that if the wrongdoers were not punished, it would cause greater damage to the society.
Often, we keep blaming the circumstances or others but turn a blind eye towards our own weaknesses. Arjun's justification for not killing his greedy cousins and relatives was driven by his own attachment and compassion towards them. Even though he felt it was a sin to kill them, as they were his relatives, he did not realize that his sentiments were actually materialistic and not transcendental. Blinded by compassion, he had forgotten his dharma as a warrior; that he was beyond this material body. His delusion had come to a point where he was willing to drop his weapons and allow his enemy to kill him unarmed.
47. Arjun's reluctance to fight the war had now reached its climax. He had now surrendered to his grief and slumped into deep dejection. His condition was the creation of his own material attachments and caused his dereliction of duty. This was a completely unexpected behavior from someone who was considered the epitome of devotion and self-surrender to God. In fact, before the battle, when both parties were mobilizing their armies; given a choice between the entire armed Yadu army and the unarmed Lord Shree Krishna; Arjun chose the Lord, as he had complete faith in him.
At this point let us consider who Arjun really was. He was definitely not a novice, bereft of spiritual knowledge. His celestial father was Indra, the king of heaven. Arjun had been to his abode and received several boons from him and other celestial beings. In his past life, Arjun was Nar, part of the twin descensions the Nar-Narayan; where Nar was the perfected soul situated in transcendental knowledge and Narayan the Supreme Lord. Then why in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, a grand warrior of such stature was dropping his weapons? What was the cause of his misery?
For the benefit of future generations, Shree Krishna wanted to bring forth the knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita. By intentionally confusing Arjun, the Lord had created this opportunity. In this chapter, Arjun put forth to the Lord several arguments and justifications why he should not fight this war, and in the subsequent chapters Shree Krishna has elaborated upon why Arjun's arguments were inappropriate, and the way forward.