Shloka 56
न ह्ान्यदपि पश्यामि कारणं तस्य नाशने । न हन्मि फाल्गुनं यावत् तावत् पादौ न धावये
na hy anyad api paśyāmi kāraṇaṁ tasya nāśane | na hanmi phālgunaṁ yāvat tāvat pādau na dhāvaye ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “I see no other cause for his destruction. Until I strike down Phālguna (Arjuna), I will not let my feet run away from the battlefield.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s unwavering resolve: one should not retreat from a chosen duty until the decisive objective is met, and one should identify the true cause behind an outcome rather than acting from confusion.
In the Karṇa Parva’s battle context, the speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) conveys a firm determination: the speaker sees Arjuna (Phālguna) as the key factor whose defeat will bring about the intended destruction, and therefore vows not to flee until confronting and killing him.