Shloka 18
दृष्टवा हि बहव: शूरा: शक्रतुल्यपराक्रमा:
dṛṣṭvā hi bahavaḥ śūrāḥ śakra-tulya-parākramāḥ | prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūta-putra-jighāṃsayā ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Melihat ramai pahlawan yang gagahnya setara Indra hadir di sana, berangkatlah segera, wahai Govinda—segerakan langkah dengan tekad untuk menewaskan ‘anak kusir’ (Karna).” Baris ini memancarkan desakan medan perang: tindakan tegas dituntut, dengan niat yang sarat strategi dan pertimbangan moral untuk menamatkan seorang lawan besar yang kewujudannya memanjangkan pertumpahan darah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethic of decisive leadership in war: when formidable forces are assembled and the stakes are high, hesitation can magnify harm. It reflects the kṣatriya context where swift, purposeful action—however grim—is treated as a duty-bound necessity to end a destructive threat.
Sañjaya reports an urgent exhortation addressed to Govinda (Kṛṣṇa): seeing many mighty warriors, he is told to depart immediately with the intention of killing the sūtaputra, i.e., Karna. The focus is on rapid mobilization and the tactical aim of removing Karna from the battlefield.