Shloka 22
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
अविज्ञानाद् भवान् यच्च धर्म रक्षति धर्मवित् | प्राणिनां त्वं वध पार्थ धार्मिको नावबुध्यसे,कुन्तीनन्दन! तुम अज्ञानवश अपनेको धर्मज्ञ मानकर जो धर्मकी रक्षा करने चले हो, उसमें प्राणिहिंसाका पाप है, यह बात तुम्हारे-जैसे धार्मिककी समझमें नहीं आती है
avijñānād bhavān yac ca dharmaṁ rakṣati dharmavit | prāṇināṁ tvaṁ vadha pārtha dhārmiko nāvabudhyase, kuntīnandana |
ಓ ಕುಂತೀನಂದನ ಪಾರ್ಥ! ಅಜ್ಞಾನದಿಂದ ನೀನು ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಧರ್ಮವಿತ್ ಎಂದು ಭಾವಿಸಿ ‘ಧರ್ಮರಕ್ಷಣೆ’ಗೆ ಹೊರಟಿದ್ದೀಯ; ಆದರೆ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಹಿಂಸೆಯ ಪಾಪವಿದೆ—ಇದನ್ನು ನೀನು, ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕನಾಗಿದ್ದರೂ, ಗ್ರಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kṛṣṇa challenges the assumption that ‘defending dharma’ is automatically righteous: without clear discernment, one may commit grave harm—especially violence against living beings—while still imagining oneself to be dharmic. True dharma requires understanding consequences and moral clarity, not merely a self-image of righteousness.
In the Karṇa Parva battle context, Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna directly, rebuking him for acting under confusion while claiming to uphold dharma. He points out that Arjuna is overlooking the ethical weight of killing involved in his chosen course, and urges deeper comprehension of what dharma entails amid war.