Shloka 20
तमायान्तं महेष्वासं दृष्टवा भूतानि भारत । निहतं मेनिरे कर्ण पाण्डवेन महात्मना,प्रयाहि शीघ्र॑ गोविन्द सूतपुत्रजिघांसया । “गोविन्द! अब मेरा रथ तैयार हो। उसमें पुनः उत्तम घोड़े जोते जायँ और मेरे उस विशाल रथमें सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र सजाकर रख दिये जायाँ। अअभ्वारोहियोंद्वारा सिखलाये और टहलाये गये घोड़े रथसम्बन्धी उपकरणोंसे सुसज्जित हो शीघ्र यहाँ आवें और आप सूतपुत्रके वधकी इच्छासे जल्दी ही यहाँसे प्रस्थान कीजिये” विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ काम्बोजं च सुदक्षिणम् । श्रुतायुषं महावीर्यमच्युतायुषमेव च । प्रत्युदगम्य भवेत् क्षेमी यो न स्यात् त्वमिव प्रभो
tam āyāntaṁ maheṣvāsaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhūtāni bhārata | nihataṁ menire karṇa pāṇḍavena mahātmanā || prayāhi śīghraṁ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṁsayā | vindānuvindāv āvantyau kāmbojaṁ ca sudakṣiṇam | śrutāyuṣaṁ mahāvīryam acyutāyuṣam eva ca | pratyudgamya bhavet kṣemī yo na syāt tvam iva prabho ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Ó Bhārata, quando o grande arqueiro surgiu à vista, os seres (no campo de batalha) julgaram que Karṇa fora morto pelo magnânimo Pāṇḍava. ‘Vai depressa, Govinda, com a intenção de matar o filho do cocheiro (Karna).’ Se alguém saísse ao encontro de Vindānu-vinda de Avanti, do Kāmboja, de Sudakṣiṇa, do poderosíssimo Śrutāyus e de Acyutāyus, poderia voltar em segurança—mas ninguém o faria como tu, ó Senhor.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly perception can turn into certainty amid war—beings assume Karṇa is slain—while also underscoring the exceptional capacity of Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) to confront formidable foes and still ensure safety. It implicitly contrasts ordinary human limits with divinely guided leadership and resolve.
Sañjaya reports that as a great archer advances, the battlefield witnesses believe Karṇa has already been killed by a Pāṇḍava. A call is made to Govinda to move swiftly with the aim of killing Karṇa, and the verse lists powerful warriors (Vindānu-vinda, Kāmboja, Sudakṣiṇa, Śrutāyus, Acyutāyus) to emphasize the danger—yet affirms that only Govinda can meet such threats and return safely.