Yadyapi Ete Na Pashyanti

Arjuna shifts his gaze to the other side. He says: Even though these people — the Kauravas — cannot see the wrong they are doing, because greed has overtaken their minds, they cannot see the sin in destroying a family or the crime in betraying friends.

A person drowning in greed stops thinking about what happens to the family. Duryodhana and his allies have their eyes fixed on the kingdom. They are marching toward the destruction of their own clan, and they do not even realize it.

But Arjuna draws a sharp distinction: their blindness is no excuse for ours. They may not see the consequences, but we do. And that difference, Arjuna believes, places a heavier burden on the Pandavas.

This verse and the next (1.39) form a single complete thought. In this verse, Arjuna describes the Kauravas' blindness. In the next, he asks: since we can see the wrong clearly, should we not turn away from it?

The compound word 'lobhopahatachetasah' — those whose minds are destroyed by greed — is precise. Greed covers the mind the way smoke covers fire. It does not destroy understanding permanently, but it hides it completely.