Shloka 26
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
एवमुक्तो5वहत् पार्थ कृष्णो द्रोणात्मजान्तिके । जैत्रेण विधिना55हूतं वायुरिन्द्रमिवाध्वरे,अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर श्रीकृष्णने उन्हें विजयशील रथके द्वारा द्रोणकुमारके निकट पहुँचा दिया। ठीक वैसे ही जैसे वैदिक विधिसे आवाहित इन्द्रदेवताको वायुदेव यज्ञमें पहुँचा देते हैं
evam ukto ’vahat pārthaḥ kṛṣṇo droṇātmajāntike | jaitreṇa vidhināhūtaṃ vāyur indram ivādhvare ||
Sañjaya berkata: Setelah berkata demikian, Kṛṣṇa memandu Pārtha (Arjuna) dengan kereta yang membawa kemenangan menuju ke hadapan putera Droṇa. Ia bagaikan Vāyu, menurut tatacara Veda yang tepat, mengiringi Indra—yang telah dipanggil—masuk ke dalam upacara korban suci.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined agency: Kṛṣṇa’s guidance moves Arjuna toward a decisive confrontation, and the ritual simile (vidhi, āhūta) suggests that power and action are most effective—and ethically framed—when directed through proper order and right method, even in the chaos of war.
After being addressed, Kṛṣṇa, acting as charioteer, drives Arjuna in a victory-bearing chariot to the vicinity of Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā, setting up their encounter; the poet compares this to Vāyu bringing the invoked Indra into the sacrificial arena.