Shloka 7
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
तस्मादहमपीच्छामि श्रोतुमर्जुन ते वच: । कालेन कियता शत्रून् क्षपयेरिति फाल्गुन,अतः अर्जुन! मैं भी तुम्हारी बात सुनना चाहता हूँ। फाल्गुन! तुम कितने समयमें शत्रुओंको नष्ट कर सकते हो?
tasmād aham apīcchāmi śrotum arjuna te vacaḥ | kālena kiyatā śatrūn kṣapayer iti phālguna ||
Darum möchte auch ich deine Worte hören, Arjuna. Sage mir, o Phālguna: In welcher Zeit meinst du, die Feinde vernichten zu können?
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible leadership: before entering a righteous but tragic conflict, a leader seeks clear assessment of capability and time, so that action is neither reckless nor prolonged beyond necessity.
In Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Arjuna (Phālguna) and asks him to state, realistically, how long it would take to destroy the enemies—seeking strategic clarity before decisive steps.