Shloka 25
तस्मात् पर्णानि शाखाश्व स्कन्ध॑ चोत्सृज्य सूतज । कृष्णं हि विद्धि पाण्डूनां मूलं सर्वत्र सर्वदा,“अतः सूतनन्दन! तुम पत्तों, डालियों और तनेको छोड़कर जड़को ही काट दो। सर्वत्र और सदा श्रीकृष्णको ही पाण्डवोंकी जड़ समझो”
tasmāt parṇāni śākhāś ca skandhaṁ cotsṛjya sūtaja | kṛṣṇaṁ hi viddhi pāṇḍūnāṁ mūlaṁ sarvatra sarvadā ||
Sañjaya said: “Therefore, O son of a charioteer, leave aside the leaves, the branches, and even the trunk—strike at the very root. Know that Kṛṣṇa alone is, everywhere and always, the root of the Pāṇḍavas.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches strategic discernment: do not waste effort on peripheral targets (leaves, branches, trunk) when the true sustaining cause is elsewhere. Ethically and narratively, it highlights Kṛṣṇa as the decisive support of the Pāṇḍavas—implying that their strength is not merely military but rooted in guidance, dharma-aligned counsel, and divine protection.
In the Drona Parva war context, Sañjaya reports counsel directed to Karṇa (addressed as sūtaja): instead of attacking the Pāṇḍava warriors as separate ‘parts,’ he should recognize Kṛṣṇa as their central pillar and aim at that ‘root,’ since Kṛṣṇa’s presence and strategy continually sustain their success.