Shloka 45
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
तद्धत्वा सर्वभूतानामभावकृतनिश्चयम् । ततो बलाक: स्वरगादेवं धर्म: सुदुर्विद:,इस प्रकार समस्त प्राणियोंका अन्त कर देनेके निश्चयसे युता उस जन्तुको मारकर बलाक स्वर्गलोकमें चला गया; अतः धर्मका स्वरूप अत्यन्त दुर्ज्य है
tad dhatvā sarvabhūtānām abhāvakṛta-niścayam | tato balākaḥ svarga-gād evaṃ dharmaḥ sudurvidaḥ ||
সকল প্রাণীর বিনাশে দৃঢ়সংকল্প সেই জীবকে বধ করে বলাক তারপর স্বর্গলোকে গমন করল। অতএব ধর্মের স্বরূপ অতি দুর্বোধ্য।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that dharma is subtle and difficult to judge: even an act that appears violent or blameworthy may, in a particular context and intention, be connected with a result like attaining heaven—hence one must be cautious in making simplistic moral conclusions.
Vāyudeva cites an example: Balāka kills a certain creature while holding a firm resolve connected with the destruction/ending of beings, and afterward reaches Svarga. The example is used to illustrate the perplexing, hard-to-grasp nature of dharma.