Shloka 726
कर्तव्यं नाभिजानाति रणे भीष्मस्य गौरवात् | महामना पाण्डवोंके इस भारी भारको मैं ही दूर करूँगा। अर्जुन इस युद्धमें तीखे बाणोंकी मार खाकर भी भीष्मके प्रति गौरवबुद्धि रखनेके कारण अपने कर्तव्यको नहीं समझ रहा है
kartavyaṁ nābhijānāti raṇe bhīṣmasya gauravāt | mahāmanā pāṇḍavo 'sya bhārī-bhāraṁ mayāiva dūrīkariṣyate | arjunaḥ asmin yuddhe tīkṣṇa-bāṇa-mārāṁ prāpya api bhīṣma-prati gaurava-buddhiṁ kṛtvā sva-kartavyaṁ na vijānāti |
Dijo Sañjaya: «En el fragor de la batalla, Arjuna no reconoce lo que debe hacerse, pues lo retiene la reverencia hacia Bhīṣma. El magnánimo Pāṇḍava parece pensar: “Yo solo apartaré esta carga aplastante”. Sin embargo, aun soportando en esta guerra los golpes de flechas agudas, Arjuna—porque su mente está fija en honrar a Bhīṣma—no alcanza a discernir su propio deber».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic tension: reverence for a venerable elder (Bhīṣma) can cloud discernment of one’s immediate duty in a righteous war. Ethical action requires clarity about kartavya even when emotions like honor and respect create hesitation.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s state on the battlefield: despite being struck by sharp arrows, Arjuna remains restrained by deep respect for Bhīṣma and therefore does not act with full decisiveness. The passage frames Arjuna’s hesitation as a failure to recognize what must be done in that moment.