Shloka 15
न चाप्यभूत् क्लान्तमना: स राजन् यावन्नास्मान् दृष्टवान् सूतपुत्र: । श्र॒त्वा तु त्वां तेन दृष्टे समेत- मश्वत्थाम्ना पूर्वतरं क्षतं च
na cāpy abhūt klāntamanāḥ sa rājan yāvan nāsmān dṛṣṭavān sūtaputraḥ | śrutvā tu tvāṃ tena dṛṣṭe sametaṃ aśvatthāmnā pūrvataraṃ kṣataṃ ca ||
Wahai Raja, putera sais kereta itu tidak patah semangat selagi dia belum memandang kami. Namun apabila dia mendengar bahawa tuanku telah bertemu dengannya—dan juga mengetahui bahawa Aśvatthāmā telah cedera lebih awal—maka tekad dan keadaan jiwanya pun tersentak bangkit di tengah-tengah akibat perang yang sedang mengalir.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a warrior’s morale and resolve are shaped by direct confrontation and by news of allies’ harm—showing the ethical weight of reputation, loyalty, and the psychological stakes of dharma-driven warfare.
Arjuna addresses the king, describing Karṇa’s state of mind: Karṇa remained undiscouraged until he faced the opposing side; upon hearing of the encounter and of Aśvatthāmā’s earlier injury, his disposition and determination are portrayed as affected within the ongoing battle context.