Shloka 51
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
अथ संशप्तकांस्त्यक्त्वा पाण्डवो द्रौणिमभ्ययात् अपाड्क्तेयानिव त्यक्त्वा दाता पाडुक्तेयमर्थिनम्
atha saṁśaptakāṁs tyaktvā pāṇḍavo drauṇim abhyayāt | apāṅkteyān iva tyaktvā dātā pāṅkteyam arthinam ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le fils de Pāṇḍu (Arjuna), délaissant les Saṁśaptakas, s’avança vers le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā). Ce fut comme un donateur qui, négligeant ceux qui ne sont pas dignes de s’asseoir dans la rangée sacrée du repas, se tourne plutôt vers le suppliant méritant qui sanctifie la rangée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The simile frames Arjuna’s tactical choice as an ethical discernment: just as a donor should direct gifts toward a worthy recipient rather than the unfit, a warrior may prioritize confronting the more consequential and properly matched opponent. It highlights discrimination (viveka) in action—choosing what is fitting and effective within dharma.
Arjuna disengages from fighting the Saṁśaptakas and moves directly toward Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), indicating a shift in battlefield focus from a vowed group engagement to a targeted confrontation with a major commander.