Shloka 40
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
अन्योन्यं श्रावयन्ति सम नामगोत्राणि भारत । पितृनामानि च रणे गोत्रनामानि वा विभो
anyonyam śrāvayanti sama nāmagotrāṇi bhārata | pitṛnāmāni ca raṇe gotranāmāni vā vibho ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, in the midst of battle they call out to one another their identical names and lineages—uttering their fathers’ names, or their clan-names, O mighty one.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, even amid violence, warriors invoke social identity—name, father, and clan—underscoring the Kṣatriya world where lineage and reputation govern conduct. It also hints at the ethical tragedy of war: those who share similar names and lineages still become mutual enemies.
Sañjaya reports battlefield behavior to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: combatants shout out identifying details—names, fathers’ names, and gotras—so others recognize who is engaged, preserving conventions of challenge, honor, and accountability during the fighting.