Shloka 25
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
यदत्रानन्तरं प्राप्त शंस मे तद्धि माधव । आतिथ्यकर्माभ्युत्थाय दीयतां यदि मन्यसे
yad atrānantaraṃ prāptaṃ śaṃsa me taddhi mādhava | ātithyakarmābhyutthāya dīyatāṃ yadi manyase | mādhava! ekaṃ ora to me śaṃsaptakānāṃ vadhaṃ kartavyaṃ, dvitīyāṃ ora droṇakumāra aśvatthāmā yuddhāya mamāhvānaṃ karoti | ataḥ atra mama yat pūrvaṃ kartavyaṃ prāptaṃ, tat me vada | yadi tvaṃ samyak manyase tarhi pūrvaṃ utthāya aśvatthāmana eva ātithyaṃ grahītuṃ avasaro dīyatām ||
ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ມາທະວະ, ຈົ່ງບອກຂ້າວ່າ ໜ້າທີ່ໃດເກີດຂຶ້ນຕໍ່ໄປໃນບ່ອນນີ້. ຖ້າເຈົ້າເຫັນວ່າຖືກ, ໃຫ້ການຕ້ອນຮັບແຂກເຮັດໂດຍການລຸກຂຶ້ນໄປຮັບເຂົາ. ມາທະວະ, ຝ່າຍໜຶ່ງຂ້າຕ້ອງປາບພວກສຳສັບຕະກະ; ອີກຝ່າຍໜຶ່ງ ອັດສະວັດຖາມາ ບຸດແຫ່ງໂດຣະນະ ກໍທ້າຂ້າໃຫ້ອອກຮົບ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຈົ່ງບອກຂ້າວ່າ ຄວນເຮັດຫຍັງກ່ອນໃນສະພາບນີ້. ຖ້າເຈົ້າເຫັນວ່າສົມຄວນ, ໃຫ້ອັດສະວັດຖາມາໄດ້ຮັບການຮັບເປັນ ‘ແຂກ’ ກ່ອນ—ນັ່ນຄື ໃຫ້ພົບເຂົາໃນການຮົບກ່ອນ».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma as situational discernment: when multiple obligations arise at once, one should seek wise counsel and prioritize the most fitting duty. It also shows how classical texts can use social-ethical language (hospitality) as a metaphor for martial conduct—meeting a challenger with due ‘reception’ in battle.
Sanjaya reports a moment of tactical and ethical choice: the speaker addresses Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) asking what should be done first, since two demands compete—fighting the Saṃsaptakas and responding to Aśvatthāmā’s direct challenge. The request frames the decision as giving ‘hospitality’ by rising to meet Aśvatthāmā first.