Shloka 22
क्षत्रधर्म विदित्वाहं यदि ब्राह्मण्यमाश्रित: । प्रकुर्या सुमहत् कर्म न मे तत् साधुसम्मतम्
kṣatradharma viditvāhaṃ yadi brāhmaṇyam āśritaḥ | prakuryā sumahat karma na me tat sādhusammatam ||
کشتریہ-دھرم جانتے ہوئے بھی اگر میں برہمنیت کا سہارا لے کر کوئی نہایت بڑا کام (تشدد) کروں، تو میرے نزدیک وہ نیک لوگوں کے ہاں پسندیدہ نہیں ہوگا۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses consistency between one’s adopted dharma (social-religious role) and one’s actions: claiming brāhmaṇa-like restraint while performing a major violent deed is ethically disapproved by the virtuous.
In the Sauptika context—where night-time violence and questions of propriety loom large—Sañjaya frames an ethical evaluation: even if one understands kṣatriya warfare, taking on brāhmaṇa-identity and then committing a weighty act would not be considered righteous.