Shloka 19
को हि द्रोणं च भीष्मं च भगदत्तं च मारिष
sañjaya uvāca | ko hi droṇaṃ ca bhīṣmaṃ ca bhagadattaṃ ca māriṣa, prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṃsayā ||
Sanjaya berkata: “Wahai yang mulia, siapa yang sanggup menghadapi Droṇa, Bhīṣma, dan Bhagadatta? Maka berangkatlah segera, wahai Govinda, dengan tekad menewaskan putra sais itu (Karṇa). Govinda! Siapkan keretaku; pasangkan kuda-kuda terbaik; dan lengkapi kereta besar itu dengan segala senjata. Biarkan kuda-kuda terlatih datang segera dengan perlengkapan kereta; dan berangkatlah cepat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the wartime ethic of decisive action under dharma as understood by the combatants: when a formidable threat is perceived, delay is treated as moral and strategic failure. It also implicitly shows the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—duty to protect one’s side can drive escalating violence, even as the narrative invites reflection on the cost of such necessity.
Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation addressed to Govinda (Kṛṣṇa), pressing him to depart quickly with the intent to kill Karṇa (called ‘sūtaputra’). The speaker underscores the gravity of the battlefield by invoking renowned warriors—Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and Bhagadatta—framing Karṇa’s elimination as an immediate strategic priority.