Shloka 23
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
प्राणिनामवधस्तात सर्वज्यायान् मतो मम । अनृतां वा वदेद् वाचं न तु हिंस्थात् कथंचन,तात! मेरे विचारसे प्राणियोंकी हिंसा न करना ही सबसे श्रेष्ठ धर्म है। किसीकी प्राणरक्षाके लिये झूठ बोलना पड़े तो बोल दे, किंतु उसकी हिंसा किसी तरह न होने दे
prāṇinām avadhas tāta sarvajyāyān mato mama | anṛtāṃ vā vaded vācaṃ na tu hiṃsyāt kathaṃcana ||
Dijo Śrī Kṛṣṇa: «Hijo querido, a mi juicio el camino más alto de todos es éste: no mates a los seres vivos. Y si para salvar una vida fuese preciso decir una falsedad, díla; pero de ningún modo cometas violencia contra ese ser».
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse prioritizes protection of life (ahiṃsā/avadha) as the highest ethical duty, even above strict truth-telling; if a false statement is necessary to save a life, it is permitted, but harming a living being is not.
In the Karṇa Parva’s war context, Śrī Kṛṣṇa instructs his listener with a moral principle suited to crisis: when duties conflict, preserving life is to be treated as paramount, and speech may be adjusted accordingly, but violence must be avoided.