Shloka 8
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
न वा कच्चिदयं काल: प्राप्त: स्यादद्य पश्चिम: । तव चैवास्य शत्रोश्व॒ तनन््ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छत:,“आज तुम्हारी और तुम्हारे इस शत्रुकी अन्तिम भेंटका समय नहीं आया है क्या? मैं जो पूछता हूँ, उसका उत्तर दो
na vā kaccid ayaṃ kālaḥ prāptaḥ syād adya paścimaḥ | tava caivāsya śatroś ca tan mamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Has the final hour perhaps arrived today—for you and for this enemy of yours? Tell me plainly what I ask.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kāla (Time) as an ethical and existential force in war: outcomes may hinge on an ‘appointed hour’ beyond human control, urging sober reflection and truthful reporting rather than triumphalism.
Within the frame dialogue, Sañjaya questions whether the decisive, final moment has arrived for the king and his adversary, and presses for a clear account—signaling a turning point and heightened tension in the battle report.