Material family bonds are perverted reflections; true family exists only with Krishna in devotional service.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 1.26–27 — July 21, 1973, London 730721BG-LONDON [36:40 Minutes] Bg-01.26–27_730721BG-LONDON Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitèn atha pitāmahān ācāryān mātulān bhrātèn putrān pautrān sakhīṁs tathā śvaśurān suhṛdaś caiva senayor ubhayor api [Bg. 1.26] tān samīkṣya sa kaunteyaḥ sarvān bandhūn avasthitān kṛpayā parayāviṣṭo viṣīdann idam abravīt [Bg. 1.27] Prabhupāda: That's alright.
Pradyumna: tatra—there; apaśyat—he could see; sthitān—standing; pārthaḥ—Arjuna; pitèn—fathers; atha—also; pitāmahān—grandfathers; ācāryān—teachers; mātulān—maternal uncles; bhrātèn—brothers; putrān—sons ; pautrān—grandsons; sakhīn—friends; tathā—too, śvaśurān—fathers-in-law; suhṛdaḥ—wellwishers; ca—also; eva—certainly; senayoḥ—of the armies; ubhayoḥ—of both parties; api—including. [04:43] Translation: "There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers—all present there." [leads chanting of synonyms] [break] tān—all of them; samīkṣya—after seeing; saḥ—he; kaunteyaḥ—the son of Kuntī; sarvān—all kinds of; bandhūn—relatives; avasthitān—situated; kṛpayā—by compassion; parayā—of a high grade; āviṣṭaḥ—overwhelmed by; viṣīdan—while lamenting; idam—thus; abravīt—spoke. [05:49] Translation: "When the son of Kuntī, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus." Prabhupāda: Hm. This is the problem. Now Arjuna is facing the problem. What is this problem?
Suppose you bring all my friends, my relatives, my sons, grandsons, my father-in-law, brother-in-law, friends, my animals... Because there were soldiers, senayor ubhayor api, there were animals also—horses, elephants. They are also within the membership. According to Vedic conception, the animals, they are also members of your family, because they are giving service. Not that one section of the members of my family I give protection, and the other section, I take everything from them and then cut throat.
This is not civilization. You keep your sons, wife, daughters, cows, dogs— they are animals—asses, domestic animals, horses, elephants. If you are rich, you can keep elephants also. It does not mean...
Either family-wise or state-wise, it does not mean that you give protection to some members and cut throat of the others. Oh, how horrible it is. So all of them were present now. And the problem is that he has to kill them, Arjuna.
It is fight; it is a family fight. So some of the family members on the other side, and some of the family members this side. So other side also, what are they? Tatrāpaśyat sthitān pārthaḥ pitèn atha pitāmahān [Bg. 1.26]. Pitèn, teachers, and pitèn, also, pitèn means those who are on the status of father.
And Bhīṣmadeva was a grandfather, a real grandfather, pitāmahā. He is on the other side. Droṇācārya, he is on the other side, teacher. They had to be respected.