Shloka 12
Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)
त्वयि चाहं महाबाहो प्रद्युम्ने वा महारथे । नृपं निक्षिप्य गच्छेयं निरपेक्षो जयद्रथम्,“महाबाहो! मैं तुमपर अथवा महारथी प्रद्युम्मपर ही भरोसा करके राजाको धरोहरकी भाँति सौंपकर निरपेक्षभावसे जयद्रथके पास जा सकता हूँ
tvayi cāhaṃ mahābāho pradyumne vā mahārathe | nṛpaṃ nikṣipya gaccheyaṃ nirapekṣo jayadratham ||
Sañjaya said: “O mighty-armed one, relying on you—or on Pradyumna, the great chariot-warrior—I could entrust the king to your care as one deposits a precious charge, and then, free from further concern, go forth to confront Jayadratha.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethics of responsibility in war: one should not abandon a protected charge (the king) without first ensuring reliable guardianship. Only after entrusting that duty to a capable warrior can one act decisively elsewhere, free from divided obligations.
Sañjaya reports a speaker’s resolve: if the king can be safely entrusted to a trusted hero (addressed as ‘mighty-armed’) or to Pradyumna, then the speaker can proceed without anxiety to engage Jayadratha, indicating a tactical shift once protection of the king is secured.