Shloka 10
अशथाक्रन्दे तुमुले वर्तमाने धार्शद्युम्ने निहते तत्र कृष्ण: । अपाज्चाल्यं क्रियते याहि पार्थ कर्ण जहीत्यब्रवीद् राजसिंह
aśvatthākrande tumule vartamāne dhṛṣṭadyumne nihate tatra kṛṣṇaḥ | apāñcālyaṃ kriyate yāhi pārtha karṇaṃ jahīty abravīd rājasimhaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: When the tumultuous battle-cry of Aśvatthāman was raging and Dhṛṣṭadyumna had been slain, Kṛṣṇa spoke there to the lion-like king (Arjuna): “The Pāñcāla host is being overwhelmed—go forth, O Pārtha; strike down Karṇa.” In this moment of crisis, Kṛṣṇa urges decisive action to protect allies and to remove a principal source of adharma-driven devastation on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a moment when allies are collapsing and a key commander has fallen, Kṛṣṇa emphasizes timely, decisive action aligned with kṣatriya-dharma: protect the vulnerable flank (the Pāñcālas) and neutralize the principal threat (Karna). Ethical urgency here is framed as responsibility—acting to prevent further unjust slaughter and to stabilize the righteous side’s defense.
Aśvatthāman’s terrifying battle-cry is resounding amid a fierce melee, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna has been killed. Seeing the Pāñcāla forces being hard-pressed, Kṛṣṇa urges Arjuna to move immediately and slay Karna, whose presence is a decisive danger to the Pāṇḍava cause.