तथेति च प्रतिज्ञातं कर्णेन शिनिपुंगव ॥
हृदि नित्यं तु कर्णस्य वधो गाण्डीवधन्वनः ॥
अहम् एव तु राधेयं मोहयामि युधां वर ॥
यतो नावसृजच् छक्तिं पाण्डवे श्वेतवाहने ॥
फल्गुनस्य हि तां मृत्युम् अवगम्य युयुत्सतः ॥
न निद्रा न च मे हर्षो मनसो ऽस्ति युधां वर ॥
घटोत्कचे व्यंसितां तु दृष्ट्वा तां शिनिपुंगव ॥
मृत्योर् आस्यान्तरान् मुक्तं पश्याम्य् अद्य धनंजयम् ॥
tatheti ca pratijñātaṃ karṇena śinipuṃgava ||
hṛdi nityaṃ tu karṇasya vadho gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ ||
aham eva tu rādheyaṃ mohayāmi yudhāṃ vara ||
yato nāvasṛjac chaktiṃ pāṇḍave śvetavāhane ||
phalgunasya hi tāṃ mṛtyum avagamya yuyutsataḥ ||
na nidrā na ca me harṣo manaso 'sti yudhāṃ vara ||
ghaṭotkace vyaṃsitāṃ tu dṛṣṭvā tāṃ śinipuṃgava ||
mṛtyor āsyāntarān muktaṃ paśyāmy adya dhanaṃjayam ||
"And 'so' it was promised by Karna, O bull of the Shini clan; yet constantly in Karna's heart was the slaying of the wielder of the Gandiva bow. But I myself delude the son of Radha, O best of warriors, so that he did not release the dart at the Pandava with the white horses [Arjuna]. For, aware of that death awaiting Phalguna, who was eager to fight, neither sleep nor joy was in my mind, O best of warriors. But seeing that dart spent on Ghatotkacha, O bull of the Shini clan, I see Dhananjaya today released from the very jaws of death."
25c0d639daa5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Krishna confesses something unheard of: as long as the dart threatened Arjuna, he knew neither sleep nor joy. It is telling that the Supreme is moved this way — care for a friend robs even the Lord of his peace. The verse teaches that divine love is not dispassionate: for the sake of the beloved the Lord grows anxious, keeps watch, deludes the enemy; and the greatness of this love lies in the eternal and immeasurable one stooping to sleepless worry over the fate of a single man.