Shloka 73
Jayadratha Approaches Draupadī in the Forest
Hospitality, Persuasion, and Reproach
भवतस्ते सहाया वै प्रेष्यतां पूर्वमागता: । पाण्डव शौर्यसम्पन्न, बलवान् तथा युद्धमें पीठ न दिखानेवाले हैं। वे आपके दास तो बहुत पहले ही हो चुके हैं, अतः उन्हें आपका सहायक होना ही चाहिये
bhavatas te sahāyā vai preṣyatāṃ pūrvam āgatāḥ | pāṇḍavāḥ śaurya-sampannā balavāṃs tathā yuddhe pīṭhaṃ na darśayanti | te bhavataḥ dāsāḥ tu bahu-pūrvam eva bhūtāḥ, ataḥ teṣāṃ bhavataḥ sahāyatvam eva kartavyam |
Karna said: “Let those allies of yours who have come earlier be dispatched first. The Pāṇḍavas are endowed with valor and strength, and in battle they do not turn their backs. Since they have long ago become, as it were, bound to your service, it is only right that they should stand as your support.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds pragmatic dharma in kingship: recognize proven valor and steadfastness in battle, and assign roles accordingly. It also frames support and service as obligations arising from prior bonds—loyalty is treated as a duty that should translate into concrete assistance.
Karna is giving counsel about mobilizing support: he urges that the allies who have already arrived be sent first, and he emphasizes the Pāṇḍavas’ strength and refusal to flee. He argues that, given their long-standing obligation of service, they should function as dependable supporters in the coming conflict.