Shloka 19
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
जनार्दन! जैसे अवध्यका वध करनेपर महान् दोष लगता है, उसी प्रकार वध्यका वध न करनेसे भी दोषकी प्राप्ति होती है। यह बात धर्मज्ञ पुरुष जानते हैं ।।
janārdana! yathā avadhyakā-vadhe mahān doṣaḥ, tathā vadhyakā-vadhaṃ na kṛte ’pi doṣa-prāptiḥ. etad dharmajñāḥ puruṣā jānanti. yathā tvāṃ na spṛśed eṣa doṣaḥ, kṛṣṇa, tathā kuru. pāṇḍavaiḥ saha dāśārhaḥ sūñjayaiś ca sasainikaiḥ—śrīkṛṣṇa, yathā tvāṃ doṣo na spṛśet tathā prayatnaṃ kuru.
「ジャナールダナよ、討ってはならぬ者を討てば大いなる罪を得るように、討つべき者を討たぬことによってもまた罪を得る。ダルマを知る人々はこのことを理解している。ゆえに、クリシュナよ、この咎が汝に触れぬように行え。ダシャールハよ、パーンダヴァ、スリンジャヤとその軍勢、さらにヤーダヴァと兵力と共に、聖なるクリシュナよ、この非難に染まらぬような努力をなせ。」
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not only about avoiding wrongful violence (killing the inviolable) but also about fulfilling necessary justice (not sparing the punishable). Both extremes can generate doṣa; therefore one must act so that righteous responsibility is met without moral stain.
Vaiśampāyana reports counsel directed to Kṛṣṇa: with the Pāṇḍavas, Sṛñjayas, and allied forces, he should undertake a course of action that avoids blame—navigating the impending conflict so that neither wrongful killing nor negligent inaction compromises dharma.