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कथं न ज्ञेयमस्माभिः पापादस्मान्निवर्तितुम् ।
कुलक्षयकृतं दोषं प्रपश्यद्भिर्जनार्दन ॥ ३९ ॥
Why should not we learn to turn away from such a sin, O Janardana, who see the evils in the destruction of a family? (39)
कथं how; न not; ज्ञेयम् to be known; अस्माभिः by us; पापान from sin; अस्मात् (from) this; निवर्तितुम् to turn array; कुलक्षयकृतं - (as shl. 28) caused by the destruction of a family; दोषं evil; प्रपश्यद्भिः by the seeing (by us who see); जनार्दन 0 Janardana.
कुलक्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुलधर्माः सनातनाः ।
धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृस्नमधर्मो ऽभिभवत्युत॥ ४० ॥
In the destruction of a family the immemorial family traditions1 perish; in the perishing of traditions lawlessness overcomes the whole family ; (40)
कुलक्षये - कुलस्य क्षये of a family, in the destruction; प्रणश्यन्ति perish; कुलधर्मा: - कुलस्य धर्मा: of the family, the duties; सनातना: immemorial; धर्मे in the (state of) duty; नष्टे being destroyed; कुलं the family; कृत्स्नम् the whole ; अधर्मः lawlessness ; अभिभवति overcomes; उत indeed.
1 Dharma; this is a wide word primarily meaning the essential nature of a thing; hence, the laws of its being, its duty; and it includes religious rites--appropriate to those laws-customs, also righteousness.
