सूत उवाच
एवं परीक्षता धर्मं पार्थः कृष्णेन चोदितः ।
नैच्छद्धन्तुं गुरुसुतं यद्यप्यात्महनं महान् ॥४०॥

sÅ«ta uvÄca
evaá¹ parÄ«ká¹£atÄ dharmaá¹
pÄrthaḥ kṛṣṇena coditaḥ
naicchad dhantuá¹ guru-sutaá¹
yadyapy Ätma-hanaá¹ mahÄn

1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LSB(1)

 sÅ«taḥ - SÅ«ta GosvÄmÄ«; uvÄca - said; evam - this; parÄ«ká¹£atÄ - being examined; dharmam - in the matter of duty; pÄrthaḥ - ÅšrÄ« Arjuna; kṛṣṇena - by Lord Kṛṣṇa; coditaḥ - being encouraged; na aicchat - did not like; hantum - to kill; guru-sutam - the son of his teacher; yadyapi - although; Ätma-hanam - murderer of sons; mahÄn - very great.


Text

SÅ«ta GosvÄmÄ« said: Although Kṛṣṇa, who was examining Arjuna in religion, encouraged Arjuna to kill the son of DroṇÄcÄrya, Arjuna, a great soul, did not like the idea of killing him, although AÅ›vatthÄmÄ was a heinous murderer of Arjuna’s family members.

Purport

Arjuna was a great soul undoubtedly, which is proved here also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Lord to kill the son of Droṇa, but Arjuna considers that the son of his great teacher should be spared, for he happens to be the son of DroṇÄcÄrya, even though he is an unworthy son, having done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one’s benefit.

Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna’s sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty, nor was Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa unaware of Arjuna’s sense of duty. But Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa puts to the test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty. The gopÄ«s were put to such tests as well. PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja also was put to such a test. All pure devotees come out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.