Shloka 13
नागमिष्यन्ति ते धीरा अकृत्वा कालसंविदम् | आगमिष्यन्ति चेन्मोहात् पुनर्यूतेन तान् जय,धीरबुद्धि पाण्डव निश्चित समयकी अवधिको पूर्ण किये बिना यहाँ नहीं आयँगे; और यदि वे मोहवश आ भी जायाँ तो तुम पुनः जूएके द्वारा उन्हें जीत लेना
nāgamiṣyanti te dhīrā akṛtvā kāla-saṁvidam | āgamiṣyanti cen mohāt punar yūtena tān jaya ||
Karna said: “Those steadfast men will not come here without first fulfilling the time-bound agreement. But if, through delusion, they do come before the term is complete, then defeat them again by means of the dice.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of a time-bound agreement (kāla-saṁvida): the steadfast are expected to honor the stipulated term. It also exposes a contrasting, ethically dubious counsel—using gambling again as a tool of domination—showing how adharma can be rationalized as ‘strategy’ when power is the aim.
Karna speaks about the Pandavas’ likely conduct: he asserts they will not return before completing the fixed period set by the agreement. He then proposes that if they return prematurely out of delusion, they should be defeated once more through a renewed dice-game.