Shloka 113
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
दुर्योधनश्व कि कृत्यं प्राप्तकालममन्यत । शत्रुओंको पीड़ा देनेवाले अर्जुनके प्रवेश करनेपर मेरी सेनाओंने क्या किया? तथा दुर्योधनने उस समयके अनुरूप कौन-सा कार्य उचित माना?
sañjaya uvāca | duryodhanaś ca kiṁ kṛtyaṁ prāptakālam amanyata | śatrūṇāṁ ko pīḍā-denavāle arjunasya praveśe mama senābhiḥ kiṁ kṛtam | tathā duryodhanena tasmin samaye’nurūpaṁ ko’pi kāryaṁ yuktam amanyata |
Sañjaya sprach: „Und welchen Handlungsweg hielt Duryodhana für angemessen, als der entscheidende Augenblick gekommen war? Als Arjuna—der seinen Feinden Qual bereitet—ins Gefecht trat, was taten meine Heere? Und welche Tat erachtete Duryodhana für passend zu jener Stunde?“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights prāptakāla—acting with discernment when the decisive moment arrives. It frames leadership as the ability to identify the fitting action (kṛtya/kārya) under pressure, especially when confronted by a formidable opponent like Arjuna.
Sanjaya reports a query about the battlefield situation: as Arjuna enters and threatens the opposing side, what response did the Kaurava forces make, and what strategic or appropriate measure did Duryodhana decide upon at that critical juncture?