Shloka 26
कर्णभीमसमागमः | Karṇa–Bhīma Encounter
तथा कर्णात्ययीभावे त्वया धार्य महद् बलम् । 'जैसे अर्जुनके मारे जानेपर श्रीकृष्ण पाण्डव-सेनाकी रक्षा करेंगे, उसी प्रकार यदि कर्ण मारा गया तो आपको मेरी विशाल वाहिनीका संरक्षण करना होगा ।।
tathā karṇātyayībhāve tvayā dhārya mahad balam | "jaise arjunake māre jānepara śrīkṛṣṇa pāṇḍava-senākī rakṣā kareṅge, usī prakāra yadi karṇa mārā gayā to āpako merī viśāla vāhinīkā saṃrakṣaṇa karanā hogā" || kimarthaṃ samare sainyaṃ vāsudevo nyavārayat
Sañjaya said: “So too, if Karṇa should fall, you must bear up and protect this great force. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa would safeguard the Pāṇḍava army if Arjuna were slain, in the same way, if Karṇa is killed, you must preserve my vast host.” (He then raises the question:) “For what reason did Vāsudeva not restrain the army in battle?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage stresses kṣatriya responsibility in crisis: a commander must sustain morale and protect the army even if the central champion falls. It also highlights reliance on wise guidance (Kṛṣṇa/Vāsudeva) and the ethical weight of safeguarding one’s dependents in war.
Sañjaya reports counsel framed around a battlefield contingency: if Karṇa is slain, the addressed leader must still uphold and protect the remaining force, just as Kṛṣṇa would protect the Pāṇḍavas if Arjuna fell. A further question is posed about why Vāsudeva did not hold back the troops in the fight.