Shloka 726
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
कर्तव्यं नाभिजानाति रणे भीष्मस्य गौरवात् | महामना पाण्डवोंके इस भारी भारको मैं ही दूर करूँगा। अर्जुन इस युद्धमें तीखे बाणोंकी मार खाकर भी भीष्मके प्रति गौरवबुद्धि रखनेके कारण अपने कर्तव्यको नहीं समझ रहा है
kartavyaṁ nābhijānāti raṇe bhīṣmasya gauravāt | mahāmanā pāṇḍavo 'sya bhārī-bhāraṁ mayāiva dūrīkariṣyate | arjunaḥ asmin yuddhe tīkṣṇa-bāṇa-mārāṁ prāpya api bhīṣma-prati gaurava-buddhiṁ kṛtvā sva-kartavyaṁ na vijānāti |
Sañjaya said: “In the thick of battle, Arjuna does not recognize what must be done, for he is held back by reverence for Bhīṣma. The high-souled Pāṇḍava seems to think, ‘I alone will remove this crushing burden.’ Yet, even while enduring the sharp blows of arrows in this war, Arjuna—because his mind is fixed on honoring Bhīṣma—fails to discern his own duty.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: reverence for a venerable elder (Bhīṣma) can cloud discernment of one’s immediate duty in a righteous war. Ethical action requires clarity about kartavya even when emotions like honor and respect create hesitation.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s state on the battlefield: despite being struck by sharp arrows, Arjuna remains restrained by deep respect for Bhīṣma and therefore does not act with full decisiveness. The passage frames Arjuna’s hesitation as a failure to recognize what must be done in that moment.