Shloka 45
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
तद्धत्वा सर्वभूतानामभावकृतनिश्चयम् । ततो बलाक: स्वरगादेवं धर्म: सुदुर्विद:
tad dhatvā sarvabhūtānām abhāvakṛta-niścayam | tato balākaḥ svarga-gād evaṃ dharmaḥ sudurvidaḥ ||
Setelah membunuh makhluk yang berketetapan teguh untuk memusnahkan semua makhluk hidup itu, Balāka kemudian pergi ke surga. Maka, hakikat dharma sungguh amat sukar dikenali.
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.