Shloka 5
अर्जुन-कर्ण-सङ्ग्रामः
Arjuna–Karna Engagement in the Cattle-Raid Aftermath
परिचिन्त्य तु पार्थेन संनिपातों न न: क्षम: । एक: कुरूनभ्यगच्छदेकश्चाग्निमतर्पयत्,विचार करनेपर तो यही समझमें आता है कि अर्जुनके साथ युद्ध करना हमारे लिये कदापि उचित नहीं है; [क्योंकि वे अकेले भी हमें परास्त कर सकते हैं।] अर्जुनने अकेले ही उत्तरकुरुदेशपर चढ़ाई की और उसे जीत लिया। अकेले ही खाण्डववन देकर अग्निको तृप्त किया
paricintya tu pārthena sannipāto na naḥ kṣamaḥ | ekaḥ kurūn abhyagacchad ekaś cāgnim atarpayat ||
Kripa disse: “Refletindo bem, é claro que não nos convém travar batalha com Arjuna. Pois ele pode derrotar-nos mesmo sozinho. Sozinho marchou contra os Kurus do Norte (Uttara Kuru) e os venceu; e sozinho satisfez Agni ao oferecer a floresta de Khāṇḍava.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
Kṛpa urges prudent, dharma-aware restraint: one should not rush into a battle that is unfitting and strategically unsound, especially against a warrior whose proven prowess makes the conflict both dangerous and morally questionable.
In the Virāṭa episode, Kṛpa counsels the Kaurava side by recalling Arjuna’s extraordinary past exploits—his victory over the Northern Kurus and the Khāṇḍava episode with Agni—to argue that confronting Arjuna in open combat is unwise.