Shloka 3
Kṛṣṇasya Karṇam Prati Sāntvavacana
Kṛṣṇa’s Conciliatory Address to Karṇa
भीष्म उवाच शुश्रूषुमनसूयं च ब्रह्म॒ण्यं सत्यवादिनम् । प्रतियोत्स्यामहे पार्थमतो दुःखतरं नु किम्
bhīṣma uvāca | śuśrūṣum anasūyaṃ ca brahmaṇyaṃ satyavādinam | pratiyotsyāmahe pārtham ato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ||
毗湿摩说道：“唉！我们竟要举兵对抗普丽塔之子——那位乐于侍奉长辈、不喜挑人过失、敬奉婆罗门、坚守真实之人。还有比这更大的悲痛吗？”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war becomes unavoidable, the truly dharmic person recognizes the moral cost: opposing a virtuous opponent is itself a profound sorrow. The verse highlights ethical sensitivity—truthfulness, humility, and service are virtues that make conflict tragic rather than triumphant.
In the Udyoga Parva, as the Kurukshetra war approaches, Bhishma reflects on the painful necessity of fighting the Pandavas. He laments that the one they must oppose—Yudhisthira, called ‘Partha’—is exemplary in service to elders, non-censoriousness, reverence for Brahmins, and truthfulness.