Shloka 51
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
अथ संशप्तकांस्त्यक्त्वा पाण्डवो द्रौणिमभ्ययात् अपाड्क्तेयानिव त्यक्त्वा दाता पाडुक्तेयमर्थिनम्
atha saṁśaptakāṁs tyaktvā pāṇḍavo drauṇim abhyayāt | apāṅkteyān iva tyaktvā dātā pāṅkteyam arthinam ||
三阇耶说道：于是般度之子（阿周那）暂置桑湿跋多迦诸军不顾，径直逼向德罗那之子（阿湿婆他摩）。这好比施主不理会那些不配坐入圣宴席列之人，而转向那位德行相称、能使席列得以清净的求施者。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The simile frames Arjuna’s tactical choice as an ethical discernment: just as a donor should direct gifts toward a worthy recipient rather than the unfit, a warrior may prioritize confronting the more consequential and properly matched opponent. It highlights discrimination (viveka) in action—choosing what is fitting and effective within dharma.
Arjuna disengages from fighting the Saṁśaptakas and moves directly toward Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son), indicating a shift in battlefield focus from a vowed group engagement to a targeted confrontation with a major commander.