Shloka 70
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
तस्माद् भवान् परं धर्म वेद सर्व यथातथम् । तीनों लोकोंमें कहीं कोई भी ऐसी बात नहीं है जो आपको विदित न हो; अत: आप ही परम धर्मको सम्पूर्ण और यथार्थरूपसे जानते हैं ।।
tasmād bhavān paraṃ dharma veda sarvaṃ yathātatham | avadhyaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ manye dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram |
Arjuna berkata: “Karena itu, Engkaulah yang mengetahui Dharma Tertinggi—segala sesuatu tepat sebagaimana adanya. Aku memandang Yudhiṣṭhira, sang Pāṇḍava dan Raja Dharma, bukanlah orang yang patut dibunuh. Maka, tunjukkanlah kepadaku suatu jalan anugerah agar ikrarku tetap tegak tanpa menanggung dosa membunuh saudaraku sendiri.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma is not merely victory-oriented: Arjuna frames a moral limit—his elder brother Yudhiṣṭhira is ‘avadhya’ (not to be slain)—and seeks a way to honor a vow without violating higher ethical duties such as reverence for elders and avoidance of grievous sin.
In the Karṇa Parva context, Arjuna addresses a revered authority (implicitly Kṛṣṇa as charioteer and guide), acknowledging his complete knowledge of dharma, and asks for guidance: he has a mental resolve/vow but refuses to treat Yudhiṣṭhira as a legitimate target, requesting a solution that preserves his pledge without killing his brother.