Chapter1- Ślokās 36*,37
pāpam evāśrayed asmān hatvaitān ātatāyanaḥ || 36 ||
tasmān nārhā vayaṃ hantuṃ dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-bāndhavān |
svajanaṃ hi kathaṃ hatvā sukhinaḥ syāma mādhava || 37 ||
(1.36*-1.37)
ātatāyanaḥ(api)- though they are assaulters; hatvā- by killing; etān- all these; pāpam- sin; āśrayet eva- will certainly be accrued; asmān- by us; tasmāt- therefore; arhāḥ na- it does not befit; vayam- us; hantuṃ- to kill; sa-bāndhavān- our kinsmen; dhārtarāṣṭrān- the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; mādhava- O husband of Lakṣmi! kathaṃ sukhinaḥ syāma- how could we become happy; hatvā- by killing; svajanaṃ- our kinsmen;
Purport
“Though they are assaulters, we will certainly incur sin if we kill them. Therefore, it does not befit us to kill our kinsmen, the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. O Mādhava! How can we hope to rejoice by killing our own kinsmen."
ātatāyinaḥ (though they are assaulters intending to slay us) It is befitting to recollect over here, the explanation for the word ghnataḥ discussed in an earlier śloka and also the statement 'agnidoragaradaccaiva śastrapāṇi rdhanāpahaḥ | kṣetradāraharaccaiva ṣadete ātatāyanaḥ’ (The below 6 are said to be ātatāyins (assaulters) 1) One who sets fire 2) One who administers poison. 3) One who kills with weapons 4) One who performs robbery 5) One who expropriates other’s land 6)One who kidnaps married women)
Mādhava Bhagawān is called Mādhava as he is the husband of the most auspicious Lakṣmi devi. Arjuna addressed Bhagawān as Mādhava here to emphasise that, 'O Mādhava, will you, who is the husband of Lakṣmi devi- the embodiment of auspiciousness, order me to perform this inauspicious task of killing my own acāryas and kinsmen.'