Shloka 26
तथा कर्णात्ययीभावे त्वया धार्य महद् बलम् । 'जैसे अर्जुनके मारे जानेपर श्रीकृष्ण पाण्डव-सेनाकी रक्षा करेंगे, उसी प्रकार यदि कर्ण मारा गया तो आपको मेरी विशाल वाहिनीका संरक्षण करना होगा ।। किमर्थ समरे सैन्यं वासुदेवो न््यवारयत्
tathā karṇātyayībhāve tvayā dhārya mahad balam | "jaise arjunake māre jānepara śrīkṛṣṇa pāṇḍava-senākī rakṣā kareṅge, usī prakāra yadi karṇa mārā gayā to āpako merī viśāla vāhinīkā saṃrakṣaṇa karanā hogā" || kimarthaṃ samare sainyaṃ vāsudevo nyavārayat
അതുപോലെ കർണ്ണൻ വീണാൽ നീ തന്നെയാണ് ഈ മഹാബലത്തെ (സൈന്യത്തെ) താങ്ങി കാക്കേണ്ടത്. എന്നാൽ സമരത്തിൽ വാസുദേവൻ സൈന്യത്തെ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് തടഞ്ഞില്ല?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage stresses kṣatriya responsibility in crisis: a commander must sustain morale and protect the army even if the central champion falls. It also highlights reliance on wise guidance (Kṛṣṇa/Vāsudeva) and the ethical weight of safeguarding one’s dependents in war.
Sañjaya reports counsel framed around a battlefield contingency: if Karṇa is slain, the addressed leader must still uphold and protect the remaining force, just as Kṛṣṇa would protect the Pāṇḍavas if Arjuna fell. A further question is posed about why Vāsudeva did not hold back the troops in the fight.