Shloka 24
तत: किरीटी परवीरघाती हताश्चमालोक्य नरप्रवीर: । माद्रीसुतं नकुलं लोकमध्ये समीक्ष्य कृष्णं भृशविक्षतं च
tataḥ kirīṭī paravīraghātī hatāṃś ca mālokya narapravīraḥ | mādrīsutaṃ nakulaṃ lokamadhye samīkṣya kṛṣṇaṃ bhṛśavikṣataṃ ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Arjuna, si bermahkota, pembunuh wira musuh, insan terunggul, melihat para pahlawan bergelimpangan terbunuh; dan ketika memandang Nakula, putera Mādrī, rebah di tengah bala tentera, serta melihat Kṛṣṇa parah terluka, hatinya dihentam dukacita dan cemas di tengah kehancuran perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of warfare: even the greatest hero, trained for battle, is shaken when confronted with the human cost—fallen comrades and a wounded ally. It underscores that dharma in war is not mere victory, but the capacity to remain ethically awake to suffering and responsibility.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna surveying the battlefield. He sees many slain, notices Nakula (Mādrī’s son) down in the middle of the host, and also sees Kṛṣṇa badly wounded. This sight intensifies the sense of crisis and grief in the ongoing combat of the Karṇa Parva.