Shloka 15
Arjuna’s Self-Identification and the Ten Names
Uttara–Arjuna Saṃvāda
कर्णने कहा--आचार्य! आप सदा हमारे सामने अर्जुनके गुणोंकी श्लाघा करते रहते हैं, परंतु अर्जुन मेरी और दुर्योधनकी सोलहवीं कलाके भी बराबर नहीं है ।। दुर्योधन उवाच यद्येष पार्थो राधेय कृतं कार्य भवेन््मम | ज्ञाता: पुनश्नरिष्यन्ति द्वादशाब्दान् विशाम्पते,दुर्योधनने कहा--राधानन्दन! यदि यह अर्जुन है; तब तो मेरा काम ही बन गया। अंगराज! अब ये पाण्डव पहचान लिये जानेके कारण फिर बारह वर्षोतक वनमें भटकेंगे
duryodhana uvāca | yady eṣa pārtho rādheya kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ bhaven mama | jñātāḥ punaḥ nariṣyanti dvādaśābdān viśāṃpate ||
कर्ण उवाच—आचार्य! भवान् सदा अस्माकं पुरतः अर्जुनस्य गुणान् श्लाघते; परन्तु अर्जुनो मम दुर्योधनस्य च षोडशकलामपि न समः ॥ दुर्योधन उवाच—यदि एष पार्थो राधेय, कृतं कार्यं भवेन्मम । ज्ञाताः पुनर्नरिष्यन्ति द्वादशाब्दान् विशाम्पते ॥
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adherence to agreed conditions (vows and terms of exile) creates binding consequences: recognition at the wrong time is treated as a decisive legal-moral trigger, and Duryodhana frames it as a strategic victory rather than a question of fairness.
Duryodhana, speaking to Karna, believes he has identified Arjuna. He exults that if the Pāṇḍavas have been discovered, they will be compelled to undergo another twelve-year exile, implying their incognito term has been invalidated.