Shloka 33
अर्जुनकर्णसंनिपातवर्णनम् / The Convergence of Arjuna and Karṇa
रौक्मं॑ वरं हस्तिगजा श्वयुक्तं रथं प्रदित्सुर्य: परेभ्यस्त्वदर्थे । सदा रणे स्पर्थते यः स पाप: कच्चित्त्वया निहतस्तात युद्धे
raukmaṁ varaṁ hastigajāśvayuktaṁ rathaṁ praditsur yaḥ parebhyas tvadarthe | sadā raṇe spardhate yaḥ sa pāpaḥ kaccit tvayā nihatas tāta yuddhe ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: «¡Hijo mío! Ese hombre pecador—que, por tu causa, estaba dispuesto a ofrecer a otros un espléndido carro de oro, uncido con elefantes y caballos, y que siempre buscaba rivalizar contigo en la batalla—, ¿ha sido abatido por ti en el campo de guerra?»
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield killing within moral scrutiny: Yudhiṣṭhira does not treat victory as purely tactical but asks whether a morally blameworthy rival—defined by envy, rivalry, and manipulative gifting—has been justly removed. It highlights the dharmic impulse to evaluate violence through ethical character and intention, not merely outcome.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a younger warrior affectionately (“tāta”) and inquires about a particular opponent known for constant rivalry and for attempting to influence others by offering a magnificent golden chariot. He asks whether that opponent has been killed by the addressee in the fighting.