Shloka 33
अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa
रौक्मं॑ वरं हस्तिगजा श्वयुक्तं रथं प्रदित्सुर्य: परेभ्यस्त्वदर्थे । सदा रणे स्पर्थते यः स पाप: कच्चित्त्वया निहतस्तात युद्धे
raukmaṁ varaṁ hastigajāśvayuktaṁ rathaṁ praditsur yaḥ parebhyas tvadarthe | sadā raṇe spardhate yaḥ sa pāpaḥ kaccit tvayā nihatas tāta yuddhe ||
Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: «Mein Sohn! Jener sündige Mann—der um deinetwillen anderen einen prächtigen goldenen Streitwagen anzubieten bereit war, bespannt mit Elefanten und Pferden, und der stets danach trachtete, dir im Kampf ebenbürtig zu sein—ist er von dir auf dem Schlachtfeld erschlagen worden?»
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield killing within moral scrutiny: Yudhiṣṭhira does not treat victory as purely tactical but asks whether a morally blameworthy rival—defined by envy, rivalry, and manipulative gifting—has been justly removed. It highlights the dharmic impulse to evaluate violence through ethical character and intention, not merely outcome.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a younger warrior affectionately (“tāta”) and inquires about a particular opponent known for constant rivalry and for attempting to influence others by offering a magnificent golden chariot. He asks whether that opponent has been killed by the addressee in the fighting.