Shloka 3
कर्णस्य एकाकि-प्रहारः तथा पाण्डव-महारथ-परिवेष्टनम् | Karṇa’s concentrated assault and the Pāṇḍava encirclement
सदृशौ: क्षत्रियै: शूरै: शूराणां युद्ध्यतां युधि | इष्टं भवति राधेय तदिदं समुपस्थितम्,“राधानन्दन! अपने समान बलवाले शूरवीर क्षत्रियोंके साथ रणभूमिमें जूझनेवाले शूरवीरोंको जो अभीष्ट होता है, वही यह संग्राम हमारे सामने उपस्थित है
sadṛśau kṣatriyaiḥ śūraiḥ śūrāṇāṃ yuddhyatāṃ yudhi | iṣṭaṃ bhavati rādhēya tad idaṃ samupasthitam ||
Sañjaya said: “O Rādhēya, for heroic kṣatriyas who fight in battle, what they most desire is to meet equally matched, valiant warriors on the field. That very wished-for encounter—the true test of strength and honor—now stands before us as the present war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal: a warrior’s ‘iṣṭa’ (cherished aim) is not mere victory by any means, but the honorable trial of strength against worthy, equal opponents. It frames battle as a test of valor and status, implying an ethical preference for fair, matched combat rather than easy or ignoble advantage.
Sañjaya addresses Karṇa (Rādhēya), observing that the present war has brought exactly what heroic fighters seek—equally powerful kṣatriya champions facing one another. He presents the moment as the long-awaited, decisive confrontation now standing before them.