Shloka 3
कर्णपर्व — द्विचक्रिकी युद्धपरिस्थिति: धृष्टद्युम्न- द्रौणि-संघर्षः तथा अर्जुन-रक्षणम्
Chapter 42
यदि मां देवता: सर्वा योधयेयु: सवासवा: | तथापि मे भयं न स्यात् किमु पार्थात् सकेशवात्,“यदि इन्द्रसहित सम्पूर्ण देवता मुझसे युद्ध करने लगें तो भी मुझे उनसे कोई भय नहीं होगा। फिर श्रीकृष्णसहित अर्जुनसे क्या भय हो सकता है
yadi māṁ devatāḥ sarvā yodhayeyuḥ savāsavāḥ | tathāpi me bhayaṁ na syāt kimu pārthāt sakeśavāt ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Sekalipun semua dewa—termasuk Indra—bangkit memerangi aku, aku tidak akan merasa gentar. Apatah lagi Arjuna, walaupun bersama Keśava (Kṛṣṇa) di sisinya?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology of martial arrogance: a speaker claims fearlessness even before the gods, implying that Arjuna with Kṛṣṇa is no threat. Ethically, it warns how pride can distort judgment in war, blinding one to the moral and strategic reality that dharma and divine support can outweigh mere bravado.
In the Karṇa Parva battle context, Sañjaya reports a warrior’s boastful declaration of invincibility—asserting that even the gods led by Indra would not frighten him, and therefore Arjuna accompanied by Kṛṣṇa should inspire even less fear.