Shloka 25

Devanagari script

।। अवश्यं तु मया वाच्यं यत्‌ पथ्यं तव पाण्डव,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

avaśyaṃ tu mayā vācyaṃ yat pathyaṃ tava pāṇḍava, prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṃsayā

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Yet I must say what is wholesome for you, O Pāṇḍava. Go quickly, O Govinda, with the resolve to slay the charioteer’s son (Karna).”

Word by Word

अवश्यम्certainly, necessarily

तुbut, indeed

मयाby me

वाच्यम्must be said / is to be said

यत्that which

पथ्यम्wholesome, beneficial, proper

तवfor you / of you

पाण्डवO Pandava

प्रयाहिgo forth, depart

शीघ्रम्quickly

गोविन्दO Govinda

सूतपुत्रof the charioteer’s son (Karna)

जिघांसयाwith the desire to kill

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)

Pāṇḍava

Sūtaputra (Karṇa)

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?

Even amid war, speech should be guided by ‘pathya’—what is truly beneficial and duty-aligned. The verse presents urgent, outcome-focused counsel as a moral obligation: one must speak what is necessary for the right course of action, not merely what is pleasant.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation addressed to Govinda (Kṛṣṇa), urging immediate departure with the intent to bring about Karṇa’s death. The moment underscores tactical urgency and the high-stakes push toward a decisive confrontation.