How then, O foremost of men, couldst
thou wish, like an ordinary person, to slay thy eldest brother, the King,
who is conversant with morality? The slaughter of a person not engaged in
battle, or of a foe, O Bharata who has turned his face from battle or who
flies away or seeks protection or joins his hands or yields himself up or
is careless, is never applauded by the righteous. All these attributes
are in thy superior. This vow, O Partha, was adopted by thee before from
foolishness. In consequence of that vow thou art now, from folly,
desirous of perpetrating a sinful act. Why, O Partha, dost thou rush
towards thy reverend superior for slaying him, without having resolved
the exceedingly subtle course of morality that is, again, difficult of
being understood? I will now tell thee, O son of Pandu, this mystery
connected with morality, this mystery that was declared by Bhishma, by
the righteous Yudhishthira, by Vidura otherwise called Kshatri, and by
Kunti, of great celebrity. I will tell thee that mystery in all its
details. Listen to it, O Dhananjaya! One who speaks truth is righteous.
There is nothing higher than truth. Behold, however, truth as practised
is exceedingly difficult to be understood as regards its essential
attributes. Truth may be unutterable, and even falsehood may be utterable
where falsehood would become truth and truth would become falsehood. In a
situation of peril to life and in marriage, falsehood becomes utterable.
In a situation involving the loss of one's entire property, falsehood
becomes utterable.
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