Shloka 23
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणाभिमुख्यं तथा सात्यकि-कर्ण-समागमः
Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s advance toward Droṇa and the Sātyaki–Karṇa confrontation
तै रक्ष्यममाणै: स नृपो रक्षितव्यो महामृधे । यद्यहं सात्यकिं पश्ये वध्यमानं महारणे,इसी प्रकार उन सुरक्षित होनेवाले सुहृदोंका भी कर्तव्य है कि वे महासमरमें अपने राजाकी रक्षा करें। यदि मैं इस महायुद्धमें सात्यकिको अपने सामने मरते देखता तो उसके वियोगसे मुझे अनर्थकारी पाप लगता। इसीलिये मैंने उसकी रक्षा की है। अतः तुम मुझपर क्यों क्रोध करते हो?
tai rakṣyamāṇaiḥ sa nṛpo rakṣitavyo mahāmṛdhe | yady ahaṃ sātyakiṃ paśye vadhyamānaṃ mahāraṇe ||
एवं रक्ष्यमाणाः सुहृदः महामृधे नृपं रक्षितुं युक्ताः। यदि चाहं महारणे सात्यकिं वध्यमानं पश्येयम्, तस्य वियोगेन मेऽनर्थकरं पापं स्यात्; तस्मात् तं रक्षितवानस्मि—किं नु मयि क्रुध्यसि?
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arjuna frames protection as reciprocal dharma: those safeguarded by a ruler or leader must, in turn, safeguard that ruler in crisis; likewise, protecting a loyal ally is a moral obligation, and neglecting it would feel like a culpable wrong.
Arjuna justifies his action of defending Sātyaki in the thick of battle, arguing that witnessing Sātyaki’s death would cause unbearable, morally troubling grief; hence his intervention is righteous, and he questions why others blame him for it.