Shloka 18

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा हि बहव: शूरा: शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमा:,प्रयाहि शीघ्र॑ गोविन्द सूतपुत्रजिघांसया । “गोविन्द! अब मेरा रथ तैयार हो। उसमें पुनः उत्तम घोड़े जोते जायँ और मेरे उस विशाल रथमें सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र सजाकर रख दिये जायाँ। अअभ्वारोहियोंद्वारा सिखलाये और टहलाये गये घोड़े रथसम्बन्धी उपकरणोंसे सुसज्जित हो शीघ्र यहाँ आवें और आप सूतपुत्रके वधकी इच्छासे जल्दी ही यहाँसे प्रस्थान कीजिये”

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā hi bahavaḥ śūrāḥ śakra-tulya-parākramāḥ | prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūta-putra-jighāṃsayā ||

Translation

サञ्जयは語った。「インドラに等しい武勇の勇士が多く居並ぶのを見たなら、ただちに出立せよ、ゴーヴィンダよ——『御者の子』（カルナ）を討つ決意をもって急ぎ進め。」この一句は戦場の切迫を告げる。果断な行動を促し、強敵の存続が殺戮を長引かせるゆえに、戦略であると同時に重い道義を帯びた意図として語られている。

Word by Word

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

हिindeed/for

बहवःmany

शूराःheroes/warriors

शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमाःwhose valor is equal to Indra's

प्रयाहिgo forth/depart

शीघ्रम्quickly

गोविन्दO Govinda

सूतपुत्रजिघांसयाwith the desire to kill the charioteer's son (Karna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)

Śakra (Indra)

Sūtaputra (Karna)

śūrāḥ (warriors/heroes)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethic of decisive leadership in war: when formidable forces are assembled and the stakes are high, hesitation can magnify harm. It reflects the kṣatriya context where swift, purposeful action—however grim—is treated as a duty-bound necessity to end a destructive threat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation addressed to Govinda (Kṛṣṇa): seeing many mighty warriors, he is told to depart immediately with the intention of killing the sūtaputra, i.e., Karna. The focus is on rapid mobilization and the tactical aim of removing Karna from the battlefield.