Shloka 4
Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share
वयं हि तान् कुरून् हत्वा ज्ञातींश्व सुहददोडपि वा । अवाकु्शीर्षा: पतिष्यामो नरके नात्र संशय:
vayaṁ hi tān kurūn hatvā jñātīnś ca suhṛdo 'pi vā | avāk-śīrṣāḥ patiṣyāmo narake nātra saṁśayaḥ ||
اگر ہم اُن کُروؤں کو—اپنے ہی رشتہ داروں اور خیرخواہوں کو—قتل کریں، تو بے شک ہم اوندھے منہ دوزخ میں جا گریں گے؛ اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic fear that violence against one’s own relatives and benefactors is morally ruinous; even a ‘just’ objective can become tainted when achieved through kin-slaying, leading to grave karmic consequences.
Yudhiṣṭhira expresses remorse and apprehension: contemplating the killing of the Kurus—his own family and allies—he concludes that such an act would inevitably bring downfall into hell, underscoring his inner conflict about war and righteousness.