अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् ।यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ॥
aho bata mahat pāpaṃ kartuṃ vyavasitā vayam |yad rājyasukhalobhena hantuṃ svajanam udyatāḥ ||
- अहो · aho
- alas, oh
- बत · bata
- indeed (exclamation of pity)
- महत् · mahat
- great
- पापम् · pāpam
- sin
- कर्तुम् · kartum
- to commit
- व्यवसिताः · vyavasitāḥ
- resolved, determined
- वयम् · vayam
- we
- यत् · yat
- that, since
- राज्यसुखलोभेन · rājyasukhalobhena
- through greed for the pleasures of kingship
- हन्तुम् · hantum
- to kill
- स्वजनम् · svajanam
- our own people
- उद्यताः · udyatāḥ
- ready, prepared, risen up
“Alas, what a great sin we are resolved to commit — ready to kill our own people out of greed for the pleasures of kingship!”
— Original plain-language translation
The lament breaks through argument into pure exclamation. Note 'we': Arjuna indicts himself alongside his enemies — his honesty is total, which is exactly why he is ready to be taught.
— Reader's notes (original)