Verse 1.39

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.39:

कुल-क्षये प्रणश्यन्ति कुल-धर्माः सनातनाः ।
धर्मे नष्टे कुलं कृत्स्नम् अधर्मोऽभिभवत्य् उत ॥ ३९ ॥

kula-kṣaye praṇaśyanti kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ |
dharme naṣṭe kulaṃ kṛtsnam adharmo'bhibhavaty uta || 39 ||

kula-kṣaye–by destroying a dynasty; praṇaśyanti–are utterly destroyed; kula-dharmāḥ–the religious traditions of the dynasty; sanātanāḥ–the ancient; dharme–virtue; naṣṭe–lost; kulam–the family; kṛtsnam–the whole; adharmaḥ–sin; abhibhavati–overpowers; uta–also.

When a dynasty is destroyed, the ancient religious traditions of the family, handed down through countless generations, are also destroyed. Upon the destruction of these virtuous traditions, the entire dynasty becomes overcome by irreligion.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Sanātanāḥ refers to those principles that have descended through the dynasty from a remote time.