Shloka 70
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
तस्माद् भवान् परं धर्म वेद सर्व यथातथम् । तीनों लोकोंमें कहीं कोई भी ऐसी बात नहीं है जो आपको विदित न हो; अत: आप ही परम धर्मको सम्पूर्ण और यथार्थरूपसे जानते हैं ।। ६९ $ ।। अवध्यं पाण्डवं मन्ये धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम्,अब मैं पाण्डुनन्दन धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरको वधके योग्य नहीं मानता। मेरी इस मानसिक प्रतिज्ञेक विषयमें आप ही कोई अनुग्रह (भाईका वध किये बिना ही प्रतिज्ञाकी रक्षाका उपाय) बताइये। मेरे मनमें जो यहाँ कहनेयोग्य उत्तम बात है, इसे पुनः सुन लीजिये
tasmād bhavān paraṃ dharma veda sarvaṃ yathātatham | avadhyaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ manye dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram |
Arjuna disse: “Portanto, tu conheces o Dharma supremo — tudo exatamente como é de fato. Considero o Pāṇḍava, o rei Yudhiṣṭhira, o Dharmarāja, como alguém que não deve ser morto. Assim, por graça, mostra-me um meio de sustentar meu voto sem incorrer no pecado de matar meu próprio irmão.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma is not merely victory-oriented: Arjuna frames a moral limit—his elder brother Yudhiṣṭhira is ‘avadhya’ (not to be slain)—and seeks a way to honor a vow without violating higher ethical duties such as reverence for elders and avoidance of grievous sin.
In the Karṇa Parva context, Arjuna addresses a revered authority (implicitly Kṛṣṇa as charioteer and guide), acknowledging his complete knowledge of dharma, and asks for guidance: he has a mental resolve/vow but refuses to treat Yudhiṣṭhira as a legitimate target, requesting a solution that preserves his pledge without killing his brother.