Shloka 5
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
त्रिभागश्नावशिष्टोडयं दिवसस्य जनार्दन । नच मां धार्तराष्ट्रेषु कच्चिद् युध्यति संयुगे,“जनार्दन! इस सम्पूर्ण दिनके ये तीन भाग ही शेष रह गये हैं। दुर्योधनकी सेनाओंमेंसे कोई भी मेरे साथ युद्ध नहीं कर रहा है'
sañjaya uvāca |
tribhāgaś cāvaśiṣṭo 'yaṃ divasasya janārdana |
na ca māṃ dhārtarāṣṭreṣu kaścid yudhyati saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: “O Janārdana, only three parts of this day now remain. Yet among the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra none engages me in battle. Their refusal to meet me in combat shows a collapse of martial resolve and duty at a decisive hour, when a kṣatriya’s obligation is to stand and fight rather than withdraw from a righteous contest.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical expectation of steadfastness in one’s duty: in a war context, it criticizes the failure of warriors to uphold kṣatriya-dharma by avoiding engagement when the day is nearing its end.
Sañjaya addresses Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana), noting that only a short portion of the day remains, yet none from the Kaurava side (Dhārtarāṣṭras) is coming forward to fight him in the ongoing battle.