Shloka 15
अर्जुन-कर्ण-सङ्ग्रामः
Arjuna–Karna Engagement in the Cattle-Raid Aftermath
समिद्ध॑ पावकं चैव घृतमेदोवसाहुतम् । घृताक्तश्लीरवासास्त्व॑ मध्येनोत्तर्तुमिच्छसि
samiddhaṁ pāvakaṁ caiva ghṛta-medovasā-hutam | ghṛtākta-śīrṇa-vāsās tvaṁ madhyenottartum icchasi ||
Kṛpa dit : «Veux-tu donc traverser le plein milieu d’un brasier ardent—nourri d’oblations de ghee, de graisse et de suif—après t’être enduit le corps de ghee et avoir revêtu des haillons ou des vêtements d’écorce ?»
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against rash, self-destructive action. By comparing the intention to crossing a blazing, ghee-fed fire while smeared with ghee, Kṛpa underscores that choices must be guided by discernment and dharma, not by impulsive bravado or despair.
Kṛpa speaks in a cutting, rhetorical question to dissuade someone from an extremely dangerous course of action. The imagery of an intensely fueled fire functions as a vivid deterrent, emphasizing the near-certain ruin that would follow such a decision.