Shloka 23
एवमाभाष्य राजानमब्रवीन्माधवं वच: । अद्य कर्ण रणे कृष्ण सूदयिष्ये न संशय:
evam ābhāṣya rājānam abravīn mādhavaṁ vacaḥ | adya karṇa raṇe kṛṣṇa sūdayiṣye na saṁśayaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Après avoir ainsi parlé au roi, il adressa ces mots à Mādhava : « Aujourd’hui, ô Kṛṣṇa, je tuerai Karṇa au combat — il n’y a aucun doute. »
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology of wartime dharma: a warrior’s firm vow to eliminate a formidable opponent, voiced with certainty. Ethically, it underscores how resolve and duty can harden into absolute declarations, even while the epic repeatedly reminds that outcomes are shaped by larger forces—dharma, prior deeds, and destiny.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, after speaking to the king, someone addresses Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava) and declares that Karṇa will be slain in battle that very day, asserting there is no doubt about it.