Shloka 24
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
स कथं भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं राजानं धर्मकोविदम् | हन्याद् भवान् नरश्रेष्ठ प्राकृतो5न्य: पुमानिव,नरश्रेष्ठ) तुम दूसरे गवाँर मनुष्यके समान अपने बड़े भाई धर्मज्ञ नरेशका वध कैसे करोगे?
sa kathaṁ bhrātaraṁ jyeṣṭhaṁ rājānaṁ dharmakovidam | hanyād bhavān naraśreṣṭha prākṛto 'nyaḥ pumān iva ||
“O pinakamainam sa mga lalaki, paano mo magagawang patayin ang iyong nakatatandang kapatid—ang haring bihasa sa dharma—na parang isang karaniwang taong magaspang at walang pinag-aralan?”
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the extremity of war, noble conduct is measured by adherence to dharma—especially restraint toward one’s elder brother and a righteous king. Kṛṣṇa frames fratricide here as the act of an uncultured, ordinary person, not of a naraśreṣṭha.
Kṛṣṇa is admonishing and morally checking a warrior’s impulse to kill his elder brother, emphasizing the elder’s status as king and knower of dharma, and warning that such a killing would be disgraceful and adharmic.