Shloka 13
तदैव कृतकार्या हि वयं स्याम कुरूद्वह । न रक्षेद् यदि कृष्णस्तं पार्थ कर्णान्महारथात्,कुरुश्रेष्ठ! यदि श्रीकृष्ण महारथी कर्णसे कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनकी रक्षा न करते तो हमलोग उसी समय कृतकार्य हो गये होते
tadaiva kṛtakāryā hi vayaṁ syāma kurūdvaha | na rakṣed yadi kṛṣṇas taṁ pārthaṁ karṇān mahārathāt ||
Sañjaya said: “O bull among the Kurus, we would have achieved our purpose at that very moment—if Kṛṣṇa had not protected Pārtha (Arjuna) from Karṇa, that great chariot-warrior.” The line underscores how decisive divine-guided protection is amid the moral chaos of war: human prowess alone is not enough when fate turns on a single act of guardianship.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the decisive role of protection and right guidance in moments of crisis: even the strongest warrior can be saved—or lost—based on timely support. It also implies that outcomes in war hinge not only on personal valor but on alliances, counsel, and a larger ordering of events.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kauravas would have succeeded immediately—meaning Arjuna could have been overcome—if Kṛṣṇa had not intervened to protect Arjuna from Karṇa, described as a formidable mahāratha.