These I do not wish to kill, O Madhusudana, even if they strike me down — not even for rule over the three worlds, so how much less for the sake of the earth?
Explanation
Arjuna, overcome with grief at seeing his teachers and relatives on the opposing side, tells Krishna (addressed as Madhusudana, slayer of the demon Madhu) that he would not kill them. He says this even if they were killing him, and even for sovereignty over the three worlds, let alone a single earthly kingdom. The verse deepens his moral crisis about duty (dharma) versus family bonds.