Shloka 4
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
न च पश्यामि दाशार्ह धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम् । नापि केतुर्युधां श्रेष्ठ धर्मराजस्य दृश्यते
na ca paśyāmi dāśārha dharmarājaṁ yudhiṣṭhiram | nāpi ketur yudhāṁ śreṣṭha dharmarājasya dṛśyate |
Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi Dāśārha, ta không thấy Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Và hỡi bậc tối thượng giữa các chiến sĩ, ngay cả chiến kỳ của Dharmarāja cũng không thấy đâu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, the visibility of rightful leadership and its symbols (the king and his banner) matters ethically and psychologically: when dharma’s representative cannot be seen, anxiety and moral uncertainty spread, reminding readers that dharma must be protected not only by intent but also through steadfast presence and order.
Sañjaya reports to Kṛṣṇa that he cannot see Yudhiṣṭhira on the battlefield, nor can he see Yudhiṣṭhira’s banner. This signals a tense moment—Yudhiṣṭhira may be obscured, displaced, or in danger—and it heightens the urgency of the ongoing combat situation.