Shloka 54
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
शताद् विशिष्ट यं युद्धे सममन्यन्त वृष्णय: । चेकितान महेष्वासं कस्तं द्रोणादवारयत्,जिन्हें युद्धके मैदानमें वृष्णिवंशियोंने सौ वीरोंसे भी अधिक माना है, उन महाधनुर्धर चेकितानको द्रोणके पास आनेसे किसने रोका?
śatād viśiṣṭaṃ yaṃ yuddhe samamanyanta vṛṣṇayaḥ | cekitānaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ kas taṃ droṇād avārayat ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: «تشيكيتانا، الرامي العظيم الذي رآه آل فِرِشْني في ساحة القتال أرفعَ من مئة محارب—من الذي صدَّه ومنعه من بلوغ درونا؟»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how reputation and recognized excellence in war do not guarantee unhindered action; even a highly esteemed hero can be checked by opposing force or circumstance, underscoring the unpredictability and moral gravity of battlefield outcomes.
The narrator, Vaiśampāyana, draws attention to Chekitāna’s exceptional standing among the Vṛṣṇis and asks who prevented this great archer from closing in on Droṇa, setting up identification of the warrior who intercepted him.