Shloka 1
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
हि >> सो न (0) है 7-2 एकषेष्टितमो< ध्याय: अर्जुनका उत्तरकुमारको आश्वासन तथा अर्जुनसे दुःशासन आदिकी पराजय वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो वैकर्तनं जित्वा पार्थों वैराटिमब्रवीत् | एतन्मां प्रापयानीकं यत्र तालो हिरण्मय:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! इस प्रकार वैकर्तन कर्णको जीतकर अर्जुनने विराटकुमार उत्तरसे कहा--'सारथे! तुम मुझे इस सेनाकी ओर ले चलो, जिसकी ध्वजापर सुवर्णमय ताड़ वृक्षका चिह्न है
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato vaikartanaṁ jitvā pārtho vairāṭim abravīt | etan māṁ prāpaya anīkaṁ yatra tālo hiraṇmayaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: Then, having overcome Vaikartana (Karna), Pārtha (Arjuna) spoke to the prince of Virāṭa (Uttara): “Charioteer, drive me toward that division of the army where the banner bears the golden emblem of a palm tree.” In the ethical frame of the episode, Arjuna—though concealed in disguise—acts with disciplined purpose, directing the battle away from panic and toward a decisive, targeted engagement rather than indiscriminate violence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, disciplined intention matters: Arjuna does not lash out blindly but chooses a specific target and directs his charioteer with clarity, modeling controlled courage and strategic restraint consistent with kṣatriya-dharma.
After defeating Karna, Arjuna instructs Prince Uttara—serving as his charioteer—to drive toward the enemy formation identified by a banner marked with a golden palm-tree emblem, signaling Arjuna’s next tactical engagement.