Shloka 11
न तु धर्मस्य सूक्ष्मत्वाद् गतिं विद्य कथंचन । अधर्मो धर्म इति वा व्यवसायो न शक््यते,धर्मका स्वरूप अत्यन्त सूक्ष्म होनेके कारण हम उसकी गतिको सर्वथा नहीं जानते; अत: यह कार्य अधर्म है या धर्म, इसका निश्चय करना हम-जैसे लोगोंके लिये असम्भव है। ब्रह्म! इसीलिये हम किसी तरह भी ऐसी सम्मति नहीं दे सकते कि राजकुमारी कृष्णा पाँच पुरुषोंकी धर्मपत्नी हो
na tu dharmasya sūkṣmatvād gatiṁ vidma kathaṁcana | adharmo dharma iti vā vyavasāyo na śakyate ||
But because the nature of dharma is exceedingly subtle, we cannot truly discern its course in any way. Therefore, it is not possible for people like us to decide with certainty whether this act is adharma or dharma. For this reason, O Brahman, we cannot in any manner give our assent that Princess Kṛṣṇā should be the lawful wife of five men.
धष्टहुम्न उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses that dharma is subtle and difficult to judge with certainty; therefore one should be cautious about issuing definitive moral-legal verdicts, especially in unprecedented situations.
In the discussion about Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) becoming the wife of five men, the speaker refuses to give approval, arguing that it is impossible for them to decide conclusively whether such an act is dharma or adharma because dharma’s true course is extremely subtle.