SB 1.7.40 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 40
Suta Uvacha Evam parikshata dharmam parthah krishnena choditah Naichhat hantum guru sutam yadyapi atmahanam mohan.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Suta—Suta Goswami, Uvacha—said, Evam—thus, Parikshata—being examined, Dharmam—in the matter of duty, Partha—Sri Arjuna, Krishnena—by lord Krishna, Chodita—being encouraged, Naichhat—did not like, Hantum—to kill, Gurusutam—the son of his teacher, Yadyapi—although, Atamahanam—murderer of sons, Mohan—very great.
TRANSLATION
Inspite of thus being encouraged and examined in religiosity by Lord Krishna for killing the son of Dronacharya, Arjuna himself a great soul did not like the idea of killing him although he was a heinous murderer of his family members.
PURPORT
Arjuna was a great soul undoubtedly which is proved here also. He is encouraged herein personally by the Lord in the matter of killing the son of Drona but Arjuna considers the right path that the son of his great teacher may be spared for the only qualification that he happens to be the son of Dronacharya and even though he is an unworthy son of a great family. He has had done all sorts of heinous acts whimsically for no one's benefit.
Lord Sri Krishna encouraged Arjuna outwardly just to test Arjuna's sense of duty. It is not that Arjuna was incomplete in the sense of his duty neither it is that Lord Sri Krishna was unware of Arjuna's sense of duty. But it is just to manifest the faith in duty of a pure devotee of the Lord, Lord Sri Krishna put to test many of His pure devotees just to magnify the sense of duty of such pure devotees. The Gopis were also put to such test as well as Prahalad Moharaj also was put to such test. But all such pure devotees came out successful in the respective tests by the Lord.