Shloka 4
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
न च पश्यामि दाशार्ह धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् । नापि केतुर्युधां श्रेष्ठ धर्मराजस्य दृश्यते,“दाशारह! इस समय मुझे धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर नहीं दिखायी दे रहे हैं। योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण! धर्मराजके ध्वजका भी दर्शन नहीं हो रहा है
na ca paśyāmi dāśārha dharmarājaṁ yudhiṣṭhiram | nāpi ketur yudhāṁ śreṣṭha dharmarājasya dṛśyate |
Sañjaya said: “O Dāśārha, I do not see Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira. And, O best of warriors, even the banner of Dharmarāja is not to be seen.” The report conveys a moment of grave uncertainty on the battlefield: the apparent disappearance of the righteous king and his standard signals possible disarray, concealment, or danger, and heightens the ethical tension of war where the fate of dharma seems to hang on the visibility and safety of its foremost representative.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, the visibility of rightful leadership and its symbols (the king and his banner) matters ethically and psychologically: when dharma’s representative cannot be seen, anxiety and moral uncertainty spread, reminding readers that dharma must be protected not only by intent but also through steadfast presence and order.
Sañjaya reports to Kṛṣṇa that he cannot see Yudhiṣṭhira on the battlefield, nor can he see Yudhiṣṭhira’s banner. This signals a tense moment—Yudhiṣṭhira may be obscured, displaced, or in danger—and it heightens the urgency of the ongoing combat situation.