Shloka 21
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
द्रौणिना रक्ष्यमाणं च मया दुःशासनेन च । कथं प्राप्स्यति बीभत्सु: सैन्धवं कालचोदितः
drauṇinā rakṣyamāṇaṃ ca mayā duḥśāsanena ca | kathaṃ prāpsyati bībhatsuḥ saindhavaṃ kālacoditaḥ ||
ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອ ຈະຍະດຣະຖະ ຖືກຄຸ້ມກັນໂດຍ ດຣາອຸນິ (ອັສວັດຖາມັນ), ໂດຍຂ້ອຍ, ແລະໂດຍ ດຸຫະຊາສະນະ ອີກດ້ວຍ, ອາຣະຈຸນ ຜູ້ນ່າຢ້ານ—ຖືກຂັບດັນໂດຍຊະຕາ ແລະແຮງກົດດັນຂອງເວລາ—ຈະເຂົ້າເຖິງເຈົ້າຊາຍແຫ່ງສິນດຸໄດ້ແນວໃດ?»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between human planning and the pressure of kāla (time/fate): even strong defensive arrangements can be challenged by a determined agent driven by urgent circumstance. It also underscores how, in war, confidence in protection can become moral blindness when defending an unjust cause.
Sañjaya describes the Kaurava side’s confidence that Jayadratha is securely protected by Aśvatthāman, Duḥśāsana, and Sañjaya himself, and questions how Arjuna could possibly break through to reach Jayadratha—whom Arjuna is urgently pursuing.