Shloka 19
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ८१: कृष्णस्य दूतप्रयाणम्
Udyoga Parva, Chapter 81: Krishna Sets Out as Envoy
जनार्दन! जैसे अवध्यका वध करनेपर महान् दोष लगता है, उसी प्रकार वध्यका वध न करनेसे भी दोषकी प्राप्ति होती है। यह बात धर्मज्ञ पुरुष जानते हैं ।।
janārdana! yathā avadhyakā-vadhe mahān doṣaḥ, tathā vadhyakā-vadhaṃ na kṛte ’pi doṣa-prāptiḥ. etad dharmajñāḥ puruṣā jānanti. yathā tvāṃ na spṛśed eṣa doṣaḥ, kṛṣṇa, tathā kuru. pāṇḍavaiḥ saha dāśārhaḥ sūñjayaiś ca sasainikaiḥ—śrīkṛṣṇa, yathā tvāṃ doṣo na spṛśet tathā prayatnaṃ kuru.
“阇那尔达那啊，正如诛杀不当诛之人会招致重罪，不诛杀当诛之人同样会招致过失；通晓达摩者皆知此理。因此，噢，克里希纳，当以作为使此过失不触及你。噢，达沙尔哈！与般度诸子、斯林阇耶诸族及其军旅，并与雅达婆众及兵众同心竭力，圣克里希纳啊，使你得以不染此责。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is not only about avoiding wrongful violence (killing the inviolable) but also about fulfilling necessary justice (not sparing the punishable). Both extremes can generate doṣa; therefore one must act so that righteous responsibility is met without moral stain.
Vaiśampāyana reports counsel directed to Kṛṣṇa: with the Pāṇḍavas, Sṛñjayas, and allied forces, he should undertake a course of action that avoids blame—navigating the impending conflict so that neither wrongful killing nor negligent inaction compromises dharma.