Shloka 113
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
दुर्योधनश्व कि कृत्यं प्राप्तकालममन्यत । शत्रुओंको पीड़ा देनेवाले अर्जुनके प्रवेश करनेपर मेरी सेनाओंने क्या किया? तथा दुर्योधनने उस समयके अनुरूप कौन-सा कार्य उचित माना?
sañjaya uvāca | duryodhanaś ca kiṁ kṛtyaṁ prāptakālam amanyata | śatrūṇāṁ ko pīḍā-denavāle arjunasya praveśe mama senābhiḥ kiṁ kṛtam | tathā duryodhanena tasmin samaye’nurūpaṁ ko’pi kāryaṁ yuktam amanyata |
サンジャヤは言った。「『そして、時機が到来したとき、ドゥルヨーダナは何をなすべきと考えたのか。敵に苦痛を与えるアルジュナが戦場へ踏み入ったとき、我が軍勢は何をしたのか。さらに、その時にふさわしい行いとしてドゥルヨーダナは何を選んだのか』」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights prāptakāla—acting with discernment when the decisive moment arrives. It frames leadership as the ability to identify the fitting action (kṛtya/kārya) under pressure, especially when confronted by a formidable opponent like Arjuna.
Sanjaya reports a query about the battlefield situation: as Arjuna enters and threatens the opposing side, what response did the Kaurava forces make, and what strategic or appropriate measure did Duryodhana decide upon at that critical juncture?