Shloka 4
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
अवसं वै ब्राह्मणच्छगनाहं रामे पुरा दिव्यमस्त्रं चिकीर्षु: तत्रापि मे देवराजेन विध्नो हितार्थिना फाल्गुनस्यैव शल्य
sañjaya uvāca | avasaṃ vai brāhmaṇacchaganāhaṃ rāme purā divyam astraṃ cikīrṣuḥ | tatrāpi me devarājena vidhno hitārthinā phālgunasyaiva śalya ||
ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ପୂର୍ବକାଳରେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଅସ୍ତ୍ର ପାଇବା ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ ମୁଁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣର ଛଦ୍ମବେଶ ଧାରଣ କରି ପରଶୁରାମ (ରାମ)ଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ରହୁଥିଲି। ଶଲ୍ୟ! ସେଠାରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଫାଲ୍ଗୁନ (ଅର୍ଜୁନ)ଙ୍କ ହିତ ଚାହୁଁଥିବା ଦେବରାଜ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର ମୋ ପ୍ରୟାସରେ ବିଘ୍ନ ଆଣିଥିଲେ।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal ambition pursued through deception (a false Brahmin identity) becomes vulnerable to moral and cosmic checks: divine powers may intervene to uphold a larger dharmic balance and protect a destined order (here, Arjuna’s advantage), showing that ends do not fully justify unethical means.
Sanjaya recounts an earlier episode: Karna, seeking celestial weapons, stayed with Parashurama disguised as a Brahmin. Indra, intent on Arjuna’s welfare, created an impediment to Karna’s aim—setting up the later incident (expanded in the surrounding passage) that leads to Karna’s setback in acquiring or retaining those weapons.