Shloka 346
सामात्यबन्धु: कर्णो वै तमानयत मा चिरम् | वे कहने लगे कि “राधानन्दन सूतपुत्र कर्ण हमारा हितैषी है। हमारे लिये अपना शरीर निछावर किये हुए है। अपने मन्त्रियों और बन्धुओंके साथ महायशस्वी कर्णने दस दिनोंतक युद्ध नहीं किया है। उसे शीघ्र बुलाओ। देर न करो
sāmātyabandhuḥ karṇo vai tam ānayat mā ciram |
Sañjaya said: “Bring Karṇa at once—do not delay.” Thus they urged, recalling that Rādhā’s son, the charioteer-born Karṇa, was their well-wisher, one who had offered his very body for their cause; and that, together with his ministers and kinsmen, the greatly renowned Karṇa had not fought for ten days. Therefore they insisted he be summoned quickly, without hesitation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical weight of loyalty and obligation in wartime: a trusted ally who has pledged himself to a cause is urgently called upon, showing how counsel and timely action are treated as decisive duties amid crisis.
In the opening of Droṇa Parva, the Kaurava side presses for Karṇa to be summoned immediately, emphasizing his reputation, his commitment to their welfare, and the fact that he has not fought for ten days—implying a strategic need to bring him into active battle without delay.