Shloka 8
कर्णवधप्रसङ्गः / The Context of Karṇa’s Fall
Krishna’s Dharmic Recollection and the Decisive Astra
नैवाददानं न च संदधानं जानीमहे कतरेणास्यतीति । वामेन वा यदि वा दक्षिणेन स द्रोणपुत्र: समरे पर्यवर्तत्,द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा समरभूमिमें चारों ओर चक्कर लगाने लगा। वह कब बाण लेता, कब उसे धनुषपर रखता और कब किस हाथसे बायें अथवा दायेंसे छोड़ता था, यह हमलोग नहीं जान पाते थे
naivādādānaṁ na ca sandadhānaṁ jānīmahe katarēṇāsyatīti | vāmena vā yadi vā dakṣiṇena sa droṇaputraḥ samare paryavartat ||
Arjuna berkata: “Kami bahkan tidak dapat membezakan bila dia mengambil anak panah, bila dia memasangnya pada tali busur, atau dari sisi mana dia melepaskannya—kiri atau kanan. Demikianlah Aśvatthāmā, putera Droṇa, terus berpusing mengelilingi medan perang; panahannya yang pantas dan tidak mengenal henti mengelirukan penglihatan kami di tengah kekacauan perang.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary martial skill can overwhelm ordinary perception in war, reminding the listener that battlefield outcomes are shaped not only by strength but by speed, technique, and the fog of combat—factors that complicate clear judgment and ethical decision-making in the moment.
Arjuna describes Aśvatthāmā’s rapid movements and shooting: he circles the battlefield so swiftly that Arjuna’s side cannot tell when he takes an arrow, sets it to the bow, or whether he releases it from the left or right—emphasizing Aśvatthāmā’s formidable presence in the fight.