Shloka 38
कर्णनिधनवृत्तान्तनिवेदनम् | Reporting Karṇa’s Fall to Yudhiṣṭhira
अजुन उवाच आचक्ष्व भगवन्नेतद् यथा विन्दाम्यहं तथा । बलाकस्यानुसम्बन्धं नदीनां कौशिकस्य च
arjuna uvāca ācakṣva bhagavann etad yathā vindāmy ahaṃ tathā | balākasyānusambandhaṃ nadīnāṃ kauśikasya ca ||
Arjuna said: “O revered one, explain this to me so that I may truly understand—how the heron Balāka is connected with the rivers, and how it is connected with Kauśika as well.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: Arjuna asks for a clear causal and narrative explanation so that understanding is grounded, not assumed. Ethically, it underscores that right action (dharma) depends on right comprehension of context and connections.
Arjuna addresses a revered interlocutor and requests an explanation of a specific tradition or episode—how ‘Balāka’ is related to the rivers and to ‘Kauśika’—indicating that a prior reference has been made and Arjuna seeks the full backstory and its linkage.