एवम् उक्तो महाबाहुः केशवः सव्यसाचिना ॥
प्रत्युवाच महातेजाः कालयुक्तम् इदं वचः ॥
अलम् एष महाबाहुः कर्णायैको हि पाण्डव ॥
किं पुनर् द्रौपदेयाभ्यां सहितः सात्वतर्षभः ॥
न च तावत् क्षमः पार्थ कर्णेन तव संगरः ॥
प्रज्वलन्ती महोल्केव तिष्ठत्य् अस्य हि वासवी ॥
त्वदर्थं पूज्यमानैषा रक्ष्यते परवीरहन् ॥
अतः कर्णः प्रयात्व् अत्र सात्वतस्य यथा तथा ॥
अहं ज्ञास्यामि कौरव्य कालम् अस्य दुरात्मनः ॥
evam ukto mahābāhuḥ keśavaḥ savyasācinā ||
pratyuvāca mahātejāḥ kālayuktam idaṃ vacaḥ ||
alam eṣa mahābāhuḥ karṇāyaiko hi pāṇḍava ||
kiṃ punar draupadeyābhyāṃ sahitaḥ sātvatarṣabhaḥ ||
na ca tāvat kṣamaḥ pārtha karṇena tava saṃgaraḥ ||
prajvalantī maholkeva tiṣṭhaty asya hi vāsavī ||
tvadarthaṃ pūjyamānaiṣā rakṣyate paravīrahan ||
ataḥ karṇaḥ prayātv atra sātvatasya yathā tathā ||
ahaṃ jñāsyāmi kauravya kālam asya durātmanaḥ ||
Thus addressed by Savyasachin, the mighty-armed Keshava, greatly radiant, replied with this word, fitted to the moment: "Enough of this mighty-armed one [Satyaki] alone for Karna, O Pandava — how much more so joined with the two sons of Draupadi, this bull of the Satvatas. And your combat with Karna is not yet fitting, O Partha; for kept ready for him is the weapon of Vasava [Indra], blazing like a great meteor. Hence let Karna go there, to the Satvata, however it may be; I shall know, O Kauravya, the hour of this evil-souled one."
402c8a86cc43 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:38 PM UTC
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Krishna restrains Arjuna: his hour with Karna has not yet come, for Karna is holding in reserve the deadly weapon of Indra. It is telling that he says "aham jñāsyāmi kālam" — "I shall know his hour": the Lord knows the appointed times and steers events toward their proper resolution. The verse teaches that there is a season for every deed, and wisdom lies in not hastening it; one led by the Lord awaits the appointed hour, not spending himself in a fight that would bring ruin before its time.