Shloka 223
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
ततः सर्वात्मना त्वद्य युद्धातिथ्यं प्रयच्छ मे । “वीर! यदि तुम मुझे यहाँ आया हुआ पूजनीय अतिथि मानो तो सब प्रकारसे आज युद्धके द्वारा मेरा आतिथ्य-सत्कार करो”
tataḥ sarvātmanā tvadya yuddhātithyaṃ prayaccha me |
म्हणून, हे वीर! आज सर्वस्वाने मला युद्धाचे आतिथ्य दे. तू मला येथे आलेला पूजनीय अतिथी मानत असशील, तर सर्व प्रकारे युद्धानेच माझे आतिथ्य-सत्कार कर.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reframes battlefield encounter through the ethical idiom of ātithi-satkara (guest-honor): for a kṣatriya, the fitting ‘hospitality’ to a worthy challenger is wholehearted, fair, and courageous combat.
In Sañjaya’s narration, a warrior addresses another as a ‘hero’ and asks to be received as an honored guest—by granting a full engagement in battle that very day.