Mahabharata — Udyoga Parva, Shloka 443
अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)
अकर्तव्यमपि होतत् कर्तुमहसि मातुल । राजन्! यदि आप मेरा प्रिय करना चाहते हैं
akartavyam api etat kartum arhasi mātula | rājan! yadi tvaṁ mama priyaṁ kartum icchasi, tarhi tasmin yuddhe tvayā arjunasya rakṣā kartavyā | tava kāryam etāvat eva bhaviṣyati yat tvaṁ karṇasya utsāhaṁ bhaṅgayaḥ | sa eva karṇāt asmākaṁ vijayaṁ dātā bhaviṣyati | māmāji! mama kṛte idaṁ na kartavyaṁ karma api kuru ||
ユディシュティラは言った。「母方の叔父よ、たとえ為すべきでないことでも、あなたはそれを為さねばならぬ。王よ――もし私の喜ぶことをしてくださるなら、その戦いでアルジュナを守っていただきたい。あなたの務めはただ一つ、カルナの自信と闘志を絶えず挫くことだ。カルナを抑え込むことこそが、我らに勝利をもたらす。叔父上、私のために、この相応しくない行いさえも行ってください。」
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: even a righteous king like Yudhiṣṭhira can feel compelled to request an ethically questionable tactic for a larger goal (protecting Arjuna and securing victory). It foregrounds how war pressures leaders into choices that strain ideals of propriety, and how loyalty and strategic necessity can conflict with moral restraint.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a king who is also his maternal uncle, urging him to take a specific role in the coming battle: protect Arjuna and continually undermine Karṇa’s fighting spirit. Yudhiṣṭhira frames this as decisive for the Pāṇḍavas’ victory, even while admitting the request borders on what should not be done.