Shloka 51
स एवमुक्तो मधुसूदनेन गाण्डीवधन्वा रिपुवीर्यसाह: । उवाच को होष ममाद्य नाग: स्वयं स आयाद् गरुडस्य वक्त्रम्
sa evam ukto madhusūdanena gāṇḍīvadhanvā ripuvīryasāhaḥ | uvāca ko hoṣa mamādya nāgaḥ svayaṃ sa āyād garuḍasya vaktram ||
When Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) spoke thus, Arjuna—wielder of the Gāṇḍīva and steadfast in facing the enemies’ might—asked: “Lord, who is this serpent that has come to me today, as though of his own accord entering the very mouth of Garuḍa?”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
In conflict, righteous action requires both guidance and discernment: heed wise counsel (here, Kṛṣṇa’s warning) while also seeking clarity about the opponent’s identity and intent before striking.
Kṛṣṇa alerts Arjuna that a great serpent approaching is an enemy and urges him to kill it. Arjuna responds by asking who this nāga is, remarking that it seems to have come as if voluntarily into Garuḍa’s mouth—i.e., toward certain destruction.