Shloka 39
त्वया क्षिप्तांश्षाग्रसद् बाणसंघा- नाश्चर्यमेतत् प्रतिभाति मेडद्य । कृष्णापरिक्लेशमनुस्मर त्वं यथाब्रवीत् षण्ढतिलान् सम वाच:
sañjaya uvāca |
tvayā kṣiptāṁś cāgrasad bāṇasaṅghān āścaryam etat pratibhāti me 'dya |
kṛṣṇāparikleśam anusmara tvaṁ yathābravīt ṣaṇḍhatilān samaṁ vācaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Qu’il ait détruit les volées serrées de flèches que tu as décochées—voilà qui, aujourd’hui, m’apparaît vraiment prodigieux. Souviens-toi, ô Savyasācin Arjuna, des souffrances infligées à Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī) dans l’assemblée des Kaurava. Souviens-toi comment ce fils de sūta, l’esprit voué au péché et l’âme mauvaise, parla sans crainte, nous traitant d’“impuissants comme des graines de sésame vides”, et lança maintes paroles dures et tranchantes. Gardant tout cela en mémoire, abats promptement le pécheur Karṇa au combat.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames remembrance of past injustice—especially Draupadī’s humiliation—as a moral spur to decisive action in a dharma-conflict. It highlights how dishonor and cruel speech are not trivial; they create ethical debts that, within the epic’s kṣatriya framework, demand accountability on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports and intensifies the moment: Arjuna’s arrow volleys have been countered, which astonishes the speaker. He urges Arjuna to recall Karṇa’s earlier insults and the suffering inflicted on Draupadī in the Kuru court, and to use that memory to resolve to kill Karṇa swiftly in the ongoing battle.