The Yoga of Arjuna's Despair

'Anuśuśruma'—we have heard from tradition: destroy foundational dharma, dwell in hell. This verse is profound because Arjuna isn't choosing between tradition and logic—he's showing they agree. He reasoned it out (v.40-42), then noted: tradition said this too. The balance we need: not blind traditionalism ('preserve everything old') or arrogant dismissal ('all tradition is outdated'), but discernment. Some 'outdated' practices exist because they prevent problems you haven't encountered yet. Before destroying institutional wisdom as 'old-fashioned', understand why it exists. 'Narake vāsaḥ'—hell isn't future punishment, it's present consequence when you discover too late that what you dismissed as tradition was actually necessity.