Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6
कृष्णेन हि विना नाहं यास्ये दुर्योधनान्तिकम् । पाण्डवान्वा समाश्रित्य कथं दुर्योधनं नृपम्
kṛṣṇena hi vinā nāhaṃ yāsye duryodhanāntikam | pāṇḍavānvā samāśritya kathaṃ duryodhanaṃ nṛpam
« Sans Kṛṣṇa, je n’irai pas auprès de Duryodhana. Et si je me mets sous la protection des Pāṇḍava, comment pourrais-je alors faire face au roi Duryodhana ? »
Īśvara (Śiva) narrating Balabhadra’s inner speech
Listener: Devī
Scene: Balarāma speaks to himself: without Kṛṣṇa he will not approach Duryodhana; yet siding with the Pāṇḍavas makes facing Duryodhana impossible—his neutrality is born of moral tension.
FAQs
When dharma is complex, one seeks guidance from the highest wisdom and avoids partisan action that violates conscience.
Not directly; it provides narrative background that leads into Prabhāsa-region tirtha actions.
None; it is a deliberation about conduct (ācāra) in a moral conflict.