Shloka 20
भीष्मस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति कुलहितोपदेशः | Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Duryodhana on Dynastic Welfare
न च ते5यं समारम्भो मयि मोघो भविष्यति । वध्यान् विषदह्ाान् संग्रामे न हनिष्यामि ते सुतान्
na ca te 'yaṃ samārambho mayi mogho bhaviṣyati | vadhyān viṣadagdḥān saṅgrāme na haniṣyāmi te sutān |
Ton entreprise en venant jusqu’à moi ne sera pas vaine. Même si, dans la bataille, je trouve tes fils en mon pouvoir et dans un état où ils mériteraient d’être mis à mort, je ne les tuerai pas. Mon combat sera avec Arjuna seul ; les autres—Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Nakula et Sahadeva—seront épargnés. Ainsi je reconnais ton effort et je me lie à une retenue au cœur de la guerre, fixant une limite à la violence quand bien même la victoire permettrait davantage.
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous war, ethical restraint can be chosen: Karṇa limits his violence by vowing not to kill Kuntī’s sons other than Arjuna, showing that personal vows and familial obligations can shape conduct amid conflict.
Kuntī approaches Karṇa before the Kurukṣetra war and appeals to him as her son. Karṇa refuses to abandon his allegiance, but he assures her that her effort will not be wasted: he will fight Arjuna, yet spare Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Nakula, and Sahadeva even if he gains the chance to kill them.