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, तो उस युद्धमें आपको अर्जुनकी रक्षा करनी होगी। आपका कार्य इतना ही होगा कि आप कर्णका उत्साह भंग करते रहें। वही कर्णसे हमें विजय दिलानेवाला होगा। मामाजी! मेरे लिये यह न करने योग्य कार्य भी करें
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 ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai bapa saudara sebelah ibu, sekalipun ini sesuatu yang tidak patut dilakukan, engkau mesti melakukannya. Wahai raja—jika tuanku ingin melakukan sesuatu yang menyenangkan hatiku, maka dalam peperangan itu tuanku harus melindungi Arjuna. Tugas tuanku hanya ini: terus-menerus mematahkan keyakinan dan semangat Karṇa. Penyekatan terhadap Karṇa itulah yang akan menghadiahkan kemenangan kepada kita. Bapa saudara, demi aku, lakukanlah juga perbuatan yang tidak layak dilakukan ini.”
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.