Shloka 22
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणाभिमुख्यं तथा सात्यकि-कर्ण-समागमः
Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s advance toward Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Karṇa confrontation
न चात्मा रक्षितव्यो वै राजन् रणगतेन हि । यो यस्य युज्यते<र्थेषु स वै रक्ष्यो नराधिप,राजन! रणभूमिमें गये हुए वीरके लिये केवल अपनी ही रक्षा करना उचित नहीं है। नरेश्वर! जो जिसके कार्योमें संलग्न होता है, वह अवश्य ही उसके द्वारा रक्षणीय हुआ करता है
na cātmā rakṣitavyo vai rājan raṇagatena hi | yo yasya yujyate 'rtheṣu sa vai rakṣyo narādhipa ||
Arjuna said: “O King, for one who has entered the battlefield, it is not proper to think only of protecting oneself. O lord of men, whoever is engaged in another’s cause and duties is, by that very relation, bound to be protected by the one whose cause he serves.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
In war, a warrior’s dharma is not self-preservation alone; ethical combat includes responsibility toward those whose cause one serves. The verse frames protection as reciprocal obligation: service and engagement in another’s affairs create a claim to protection by that leader or patron.
Arjuna addresses a kingly figure, arguing from battlefield ethics. He insists that once one has entered combat, one must prioritize duty and the protection of those connected by service and purpose, rather than focusing narrowly on one’s own safety.