Shloka 24
एवमुक्तो5ब्रवीत् पार्थ केशवो राजसत्तम,कथं भवान् रणे कर्ण निहन्यादिति सत्तम | नृपश्रेष्ठ उनके ऐसा कहनेपर श्रीकृष्णने अर्जुनसे कहा--“भरतश्रेष्ठ! तुम महाबली कर्णका वध करनेमें समर्थ हो। सत्पुरुषोंमें श्रेष्ठ महारथी वीर! मेरे मनमें भी सदा यही इच्छा बनी रहती है कि तुम रणभूमिमें कर्णको किसी तरह मार डालो”
sañjaya uvāca |
evam ukto 'bravīt pārtha keśavo rājasattama |
kathaṁ bhavān raṇe karṇaṁ nihanyād iti sattama ||
Sañjaya said: Thus addressed, Keśava spoke to Pārtha (Arjuna), O best of kings: “How will you, in battle, slay Karṇa?” In ethical and strategic terms, Kṛṣṇa’s words press Arjuna toward a decisive act that he deems necessary for the war’s just outcome—urging him to overcome hesitation and fulfill his kṣatriya duty by removing a formidable, adharma-aligned threat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical pressure of kṣatriya-dharma in war: when a conflict has become unavoidable, decisive action against a principal aggressor is framed as necessary for restoring order. Kṛṣṇa’s counsel aims to strengthen Arjuna’s resolve so that duty and strategic necessity are not undermined by hesitation.
Sañjaya narrates that Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) addresses Arjuna (Pārtha), asking how he will manage to slay Karṇa in battle. The line functions as a prompt toward planning and execution against Karṇa, one of the Kaurava side’s greatest warriors.