Shloka 30
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
क्व नु ते सूतपुत्रो5 भूत् क्व नु द्रोण: सहानुग: । अहं क्व च क्व चात्मा ते हार्दिक्यश्व तथा क्व नु
kva nu te sūtaputro 'bhūt kva nu droṇaḥ sahānugaḥ | ahaṃ kva ca kva cātmā te hārdikyaśva tathā kva nu ||
Санджая сказал: «Где же тогда был Карна, твой сын, рождённый от возничего? Где был Дрона со своими последователями? Где был я, и где был ты сам? И где, наконец, был Хардикья (Критаварма)?»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores accountability in leadership and the ethical weight of pledged duty in war: when a critical moment arises, commanders and allies must be present and effective; absence becomes a moral failure, not merely a tactical one.
Sañjaya, reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, sharply asks where key Kaurava champions—Karṇa, Droṇa, and Kṛtavarmā—were at a decisive time (evoked in the accompanying context as Jayadratha being targeted by Arjuna), implying that their nonappearance or inaction contributed to the Kauravas’ setback.