Shloka 9
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
ततः संग्रामभूमिं तां वर्तमाने जनक्षये । अवेक्षमाणो गोविन्द: सव्यसाचिनमब्रवीत्,वे मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्त होनेका निमित्त बनाकर आपके योद्धाओंके साथ युद्ध कर रहे थे। तदनन्तर जहाँ वह भारी जनसंहार हो रहा था, उस संग्रामभूमिको देखते हुए भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण सव्यसाची अर्जुनसे इस प्रकार बोले--
tataḥ saṅgrāmabhūmiṃ tāṃ vartamāne janakṣaye | avekṣamāṇo govindaḥ savyasācinam abravīt ||
Sañjaya said: Then, as the slaughter of men was unfolding on that battlefield, Govinda—surveying the scene—addressed Arjuna, the ambidextrous archer. The moment frames Kṛṣṇa’s role as a moral guide amid escalating destruction, preparing to redirect Arjuna’s resolve toward duty rather than withdrawal in the face of death and loss.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid overwhelming violence and grief, the text foregrounds steadiness in dharma: Kṛṣṇa’s observation and ensuing speech signal that ethical clarity and disciplined action must guide a warrior, rather than fear, despair, or the impulse to withdraw when destruction becomes visible.
Sañjaya narrates that, while the battle is producing heavy casualties, Kṛṣṇa (Govinda) looks over the battlefield and then speaks to Arjuna (Savyasācin), setting up an instruction or exhortation relevant to the immediate crisis of the fight.