This shloka completes the expression of Arjuna’s sorrow.

In the previous shlokas, Arjuna’s sorrow showed itself physically. His limbs weakened, his mouth dried, his body trembled, his hairs stood on end, Gāṇḍīva slipped from his hand, his skin burned, he could not stand, and his mind reeled. Now the same disturbed mind begins to interpret the world negatively.

Arjuna says, nimittāni ca paśyāmi viparītāni keśava — “O Keśava, I see adverse omens.” Nimitta means an omen or sign. Viparītāni means adverse, opposite, unfavorable. Arjuna says that he is seeing bad signs everywhere.

But this seeing must be understood carefully. When the mind is strong and clear, it does not easily project negativity. But when the mind becomes weak, sorrowful, and frightened, it begins to see bad omens everywhere. A disturbed mind can take ordinary events and interpret them as signs of disaster.

So the problem is not merely outside. Arjuna’s inner condition is coloring what he sees. His sorrow has become so intense that the world itself now appears threatening and unfavorable.

Then Arjuna says, na ca śreyo’nupaśyāmi — “I do not see any good.” This is a deeper expression of sorrow. Earlier he was physically shaken. Now he is losing the sense that anything meaningful can come from this action.

The phrase hatvā svajanam āhave means “after killing my own people in battle.” Again the word svajanam appears. Arjuna is not saying “after destroying adharma.” He is saying “after killing my own people.” His vision is still locked into the relationship-frame.

This is the crucial point. Arjuna’s original understanding was clear: the war was for dharma-saṃsthāpanam, the protection and re-establishment of dharma. The Pāṇḍavas had tried non-violent methods first. War was taken only as a last resort. But now that larger dharmic purpose is forgotten.

Arjuna’s mind has narrowed. He is no longer seeing dharma as the meaningful outcome. He is seeing life through the presence or absence of certain people — Bhīṣma, Droṇa, and the others. Because he is emotionally dependent on them, he feels, “If they are gone, what good remains?”

This is a dangerous form of attachment. We give meaning to people, roles, activities, and relationships. But because of ignorance and dependence, we begin to feel that those things give meaning to our life. Then, if they are threatened, life itself appears meaningless.

Vedānta corrects this mistake. Life is not meaningful because of external supports. Life is meaningful in itself. People come and go. Positions come and go. Possessions come and go. Situations come and go. Dharma alone should remain the guiding principle.

This shloka therefore shows the transition point. Up to here, the problem is mainly sorrow. From here onward, that sorrow will begin to produce wrong conclusions. Rāgaḥ has produced śokaḥ; now śokaḥ is preparing to become mohaḥ.