Shloka 12
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
तमब्रवीत्ततो यन्ता कच्चित् क्षेमं तु पार्षत
tam abravīt tato yantā kaccit kṣemaṃ tu pārṣata
Sañjaya said: Then the charioteer addressed him, asking, “O son of Pṛṣata, is all well (with you)?”—a brief, humane inquiry amid the harsh momentum of battle, where concern for a warrior’s safety and readiness still surfaces as a moral reflex.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the violence of war, the text preserves a moral sensibility: asking after another’s kṣema (safety and well-being) reflects the residual ethic of care and responsibility that should not be extinguished by conflict.
Sañjaya reports a moment on the battlefield where a charioteer speaks to a warrior addressed as Pārṣata, checking whether he is safe and fit—often a prelude to further action, instruction, or a shift in the combat situation.