Shloka 40
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
चरन्तं विजने शल्य ततो<नुव्याजहार माम् । यस्मात् त्वया प्रमत्तेन होमधेन्वा हत: सुतः
carantaṁ vijane śalya tato 'nuvyājahāra mām | yasmāt tvayā pramattena homadhenvā hataḥ sutaḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“当我在荒僻之地行走时，沙利耶便对我说道：‘正因你这般疏忽，我的儿子——那祭火圣牛（homadhenu）的牛犊——被你杀了。’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical accountability under pressure: negligence (pramāda) can be perceived as causally linked to harm, and in the aftermath of loss, grief often expresses itself as moral accusation. It cautions against carelessness and shows how war amplifies the consequences of lapses in attention and duty.
Sañjaya reports that, while he was in a secluded place, Śalya approached and spoke to him, blaming him for the death of Śalya’s son, who was killed by someone named Homadhenvā. The moment conveys Śalya’s sorrow and anger, directed toward Sañjaya as the one deemed responsible through negligence.