Shloka 3
Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
भीष्म उवाच शुश्रूषुमनसूयं च ब्रह्म॒ण्यं सत्यवादिनम् । प्रतियोत्स्यामहे पार्थमतो दुःखतरं नु किम्
bhīṣma uvāca | śuśrūṣum anasūyaṃ ca brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam | pratiyotsyāmahe pārtham ato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Aduhai! Kita harus mengangkat senjata melawan putera Pṛthā—yang tekun berkhidmat kepada para tua, tidak mencari-cari salah orang, berbakti kepada para Brahmana, dan teguh pada kebenaran. Dukacita apakah yang lebih besar daripada ini?”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war becomes unavoidable, the truly dharmic person recognizes the moral cost: opposing a virtuous opponent is itself a profound sorrow. The verse highlights ethical sensitivity—truthfulness, humility, and service are virtues that make conflict tragic rather than triumphant.
In the Udyoga Parva, as the Kurukshetra war approaches, Bhishma reflects on the painful necessity of fighting the Pandavas. He laments that the one they must oppose—Yudhisthira, called ‘Partha’—is exemplary in service to elders, non-censoriousness, reverence for Brahmins, and truthfulness.