Shloka 10
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
भिन्द्यामहं तस्य शिर इत्युपांशुब्रतं मम । तदुक्त मम चानेन राज्ञामितपराक्रम,“जो मुझसे यह कह दे कि तुम अपना गाण्डीव धनुष दूसरेको दे दो, उसका मैं सिर काट लूँगा।' मैंने मन-ही-मन यह प्रतिज्ञा कर रखी है। अनन्त पराक्रमी गोविन्द! आपके सामने ही इन महाराजने मुझसे वह बात कही है, अतः मैं इन्हें क्षमा नहीं कर सकता; इन धर्मभीरु नरेशका वध करूँगा
sañjaya uvāca | bhindyām ahaṃ tasya śira ity upāṃśu-vrataṃ mama | tad uktaṃ mama cānena rājñāmitaparākrama | “yo mujhse yaha kaha de ki tvaṃ ātmanaḥ gāṇḍīva-dhanuḥ anyasmai dehi, tasya ahaṃ śiraś chindiyām” iti | mayā manasi eṣā pratijñā kṛtā | ananta-parākrama govinda! tava purataḥ eva eṣa mahārājaḥ mayā saha etad avadat | ataḥ ahaṃ enam kṣamituṃ na śaknomi | asya dharma-bhīroḥ nṛpasya vadhaṃ kariṣyāmi |
Sañjaya nói: “Ta đã mang trong mình một lời thề kín: ‘Ta sẽ bổ vỡ đầu kẻ nào bảo ta: “Hãy trao cây cung Gāṇḍīva của ngươi cho người khác.”’ Chính lời ấy nay đã được vị vua này nói với ta, hỡi Govinda dũng lực vô biên, lại nói ngay trước mặt ngài. Vì thế ta không thể tha thứ. Dẫu ông là vị vua kính sợ dharma, ta vẫn sẽ giết.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical tension between a personal vow (pratijñā) and the broader demands of dharma: a rigid commitment to honor can drive one toward violence even against a dharma-fearing person, showing how vows, when fueled by anger, can become morally perilous.
A warrior recalls a private vow to kill anyone who orders him to give away the Gāṇḍīva bow. Since a king has now spoken those words in Kṛṣṇa’s presence, he declares he cannot forgive the insult and resolves to slay that king despite acknowledging him as dharma-conscious.