Shloka 18
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
अकार्याणां क्रियाणां च संयोगं य: करोति वै । कार्याणामक्रियाणां च स पार्थ पुरुषाधम:
akāryāṇāṁ kriyāṇāṁ ca saṁyogaṁ yaḥ karoti vai | kāryāṇām akriyāṇāṁ ca sa pārtha puruṣādhamaḥ ||
Śrī Kṛṣṇa bersabda: “Wahai Pārtha, yang paling hina antara manusia ialah dia yang menjalin persekutuan dengan perkara yang tidak patut dilakukan, dengan perbuatan yang tidak wajar dimulakan; dan yang juga berpaling daripada apa yang sepatutnya dilakukan, gagal bertindak ketika kewajipan memanggil. Orang demikian mengacaukan batas antara benar dan salah, lalu jatuh daripada dharma.”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
One must discriminate between what is forbidden (akārya) and what is duty (kārya). Joining oneself to improper actions and neglecting rightful duties is portrayed as moral degradation—an inversion of dharma through wrong choices and culpable omission.
In the Karṇa Parva war setting, Śrī Kṛṣṇa addresses Arjuna (Pārtha) with ethical counsel, warning against confused judgment: aligning with prohibited courses of action while failing to do what duty requires.