When a big burden of pursuing and maintaining Dharma is bestowed on the males, any अधर्मः should first impact them right? I had wondered before if प्रदुष्यन्ति refered to some unfortunate happenings forced on women, but here the indication seems to be clear that the women on their own accord fall on bad/wanton ways. I used to think this is egregious, but do not feel so strongly now, but have always wondered why the negativity is so abjectly referring to women.

I don't think it is wrong to say that men often look to women for support and encouragement when they have doubts about following their dharma. This seems to be pretty uniform across various cultures.

So, imo, men are like the soldiers at the front and women are the final bastion in the fight against adharma. Men failing their dharma is the first sign of impending doom and women falling is the really the final collapse itself. This verse can be interpreted in either way.

I like Balaji's interpretation and find it true in practice.

I hate discussing generalizations like these, but felt strongly enough on this one to bring up. I will not continue on this angle, but I cannot relate to what Balaji is saying with men falling back to women for support and women being the final bastion. Dasharatha was not weak when Kaikeyi invited him to adharma. DhRtarashtra was not supported well by Gandhari whose own brother was very adhaarmic. Tara and Mandodari were dhaarmic but it did not help much. In many families I have interacted with, there has been a wide spread in how the man and the woman support each other on the questions of dharma.

By the way, have any of the commentators explained why varNa-sa~NkaraH is inherently bad and why it was taboo, or was it just too obvious?

As for the वर्णसङ्करः issue, I've heard several explanations but find them acceptable only under massive assumptions. Given that it is not pertinent to me in my own life, I've personally decided to stop thinking about the question.

After having gone down this path several times, I now find it fruitless to think about whether each and every thing the Gita says is right. I still am, however, interested in finding out if Gita is practically applicable and would like to apply it in my own life and see if it has any positive effect.

Further, Arjuna is confused at this moment and one need not take all his arguments as right or even correctly motivated. There is, as you know, some discussion of jAti and duties later on in the Gita. Maybe the commentators would have something more useful to say there?