Shloka 233
Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)
पृष्ठतो नोत्सहे कर्तु त्वां वा त्यक्तुं महीपते । “अर्जुन मुझे भी बुद्धिमान् द्रोणाचार्यका सामना करनेमें समर्थ योद्धा मानते हैं। महीपते! मैं अपने आचार्यकी इस सम्भावनाको तथा उनके उस आदेशको न तो पीछे ढकेल सकता हूँ और न आपको ही त्याग सकता हूँ
pṛṣṭhato notsahe kartuṁ tvāṁ vā tyaktuṁ mahīpate |
Sañjaya said: O king, I cannot bring myself to strike from behind, nor can I abandon you. Bound by duty and loyalty, I cannot cast aside either the moral restraint against a dishonourable act or my obligation to stand by my sovereign in this war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, conduct is bounded by dharma: one should avoid dishonourable tactics (such as striking from behind) while also upholding rightful obligations—here, steadfast loyalty to one’s king.
Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), expressing an inner constraint: he cannot commit an act considered improper in battle, and at the same time he cannot desert his sovereign—showing the tension between battlefield expediency and ethical duty.