Shloka 196
कर्णवधोत्तरं शल्य-दुर्योधनसंवादः
Aftermath of Karṇa’s Fall: Śalya’s Address to Duryodhana
तथैव राज्ञश्न सुयोधनस्य ये वापि मां योद्धुकामा: समेता: । “आज जब ऐसी परिस्थिति है, तब सूतपुत्र कर्ण, राजा दुर्योधन तथा अन्य जो लोग मेरे साथ युद्धकी इच्छासे एकत्र हुए हैं, उन सबके साथ छिड़े हुए इस संग्राममें मैं कौन-सा कार्य कर सकता हूँ
tathaiva rājñaś ca suyodhanasya ye vāpi māṁ yoddhukāmāḥ sametāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “So too, with King Suyodhana—and with all those who have assembled here, eager to fight against me—what action can I possibly undertake in this battle that has already been set in motion?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral pressure of an already-ignited conflict: once opponents have gathered with the intent to fight, the speaker reflects on the limits of personal agency and the difficulty of choosing a constructive course amid escalating violence.
Sañjaya reports a moment of assessment in the battlefield context, noting that Duryodhana and others have assembled with the desire to fight him, and he questions what effective action he can take in a battle that is underway.