War does not end with a single event.

Arjuna witnesses a series of misfortunes that begin with the destruction of his clan. He sees family traditions being lost, corruption increasing, and social order collapsing. He believes that when elders disappear, those who can transmit customs vanish, leading to the loss not only of individual household practices but also of the caste-based duties based on the Vedas.

This discussion is based on the Varna Dharma and family order of ancient India. It should be read not as a direct norm for modern society, but to understand how broadly Arjuna perceived the impact of war. He fears not only the immediate deaths in battle. He worries that people, knowledge, customs, and social norms will be lost sequentially, and that the wounds of war will remain with the next generation.

Japanese Translation from the Gita Press Edition - Chapter 1, Section 43: "The Customs of a Clan and Duties Related to Status are Lost."

By the actions of those who cause intermarriage and mixing of castes, The eternal principles of caste and family are disturbed. || 43 ||

Vocabulary

"doṣaiḥ etaiḥ" means "by these evils."

kulaghnānām means "those who destroy a clan."

varṇasaṅkarakārakaiḥ means "things that cause color mixing."

"utsādyante" means "extinction."

"jātidharmāḥ" means "duties based on caste, traditional obligations of a social group."

"kuladharmāḥ" means "family traditions."

"śāśvatāḥ" means "from ancient times," "continuing from olden days," or "long-standing."

Translation

"By this evil that causes the mixing of Valna, the ancient traditions and family customs of those who destroy families will be extinguished."

Annotative Translation

The evils that cause discord in Valna can be listed as follows:

First, the destruction of a family lineage.

Secondly, the destruction of family traditions due to the annihilation of a clan.

Thirdly, the superiority of incompetence.

Fourthly, due to the dominance of vice, women may fall from their high ideal of female chastity and engage in adultery or other immoral acts.

The norms of proper conduct that are passed down from generation to generation are called "long-standing family traditions."

Also, the Varna Dharma taught by the Vedas is what is meant by the term Jātidharma.

That is, it defines obligations according to various social classes and strata.

When healthy family customs are lost, it happens because the elderly people who preserve those customs pass away.

And, as the evil that leads to the mixing of Valna increases, Valna Dharma will also naturally perish.

Because, among the offspring born from the union of parents belonging to different social classes, there is no possibility of remaining within a single class.

In this way, due to the evil that causes Varna mixing, the traditional social hierarchies passed down from ancient times, namely "Jātidharmas," and family customs, namely "Kuladharmas," both disappear.