Shloka 23
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
अयं कर्ण: कुत: कर्णस्तिष्ठ कर्ण महारणे
ayaṃ karṇaḥ kutaḥ karṇas tiṣṭha karṇa mahāraṇe
Sañjaya said: “Here is Karṇa—where is Karṇa now? Stand firm, O Karṇa, in this great battle!” The cry bears urgency and moral pressure: in war’s crisis a warrior is called to steadiness and accountability, not evasion, for the fate of many hangs upon his resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in a moment of peril: a warrior must stand firm and face consequences with courage. It frames steadfastness as an ethical demand when one’s actions affect the wider field of suffering and justice in war.
Sañjaya reports a charged call directed at Karṇa—pointing him out and challenging his whereabouts or readiness—urging him to hold his ground in the great battle. The repetition of “Karṇa” heightens the immediacy and pressure of the moment.