Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ततो गाण्डीवधन्वानमब्रवीन्मधुसूदन:,प्रयाहि शीघ्र॑ गोविन्द सूतपुत्रजिघांसया । “गोविन्द! अब मेरा रथ तैयार हो। उसमें पुनः उत्तम घोड़े जोते जायँ और मेरे उस विशाल रथमें सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र सजाकर रख दिये जायाँ। अअभ्वारोहियोंद्वारा सिखलाये और टहलाये गये घोड़े रथसम्बन्धी उपकरणोंसे सुसज्जित हो शीघ्र यहाँ आवें और आप सूतपुत्रके वधकी इच्छासे जल्दी ही यहाँसे प्रस्थान कीजिये”

Transliteration

tato gāṇḍīvadhanvānam abravīn madhusūdanaḥ | prayāhi śīghraṁ govinda sūtaputrajighāṁsayā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) addressed the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna): “Go swiftly, O Govinda—driven by the resolve to slay the charioteer’s son.”

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

गाण्डीव-धन्वानम्the wielder of the Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

मधुसूदनःMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

प्रयाहिgo forth, depart

शीघ्रम्quickly

गोविन्दO Govinda

सूत-पुत्र-जिघांसयाwith the desire to slay the charioteer’s son (Karna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)

Gāṇḍīva-dhanvān (Arjuna)

Sūtaputra (Karna)

Gāṇḍīva (bow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights decisive action under dharma’s pressure: Kṛṣṇa urges swift execution of a necessary wartime objective. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between compassion and duty—where delay can endanger one’s side and undermine righteous strategy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Kṛṣṇa (Madhusūdana/Govinda) speaks to Arjuna (the Gāṇḍīva-bearer), urging him to move quickly with the intent to kill Karna (called sūtaputra). It is a moment of urgent mobilization and tactical resolve in the Karṇa Parva battle sequence.