Shloka 52
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५४: दुर्योधनस्य धृतराष्ट्रं प्रति बलप्रशंसन-युक्तः आश्वासनवादः
Duryodhana’s Reassurance and Force-Praise to Dhritarashtra
शक्रस्यापि व्यथां कुर्यु: संयुगे भरतर्षभ । नैतेषामर्जुन: शक्त एकैकं प्रति वीक्षितुम्,भरतश्रेष्ठ! ये चारों वीर युद्धमें देवराज इन्द्रको भी पीड़ा दे सकते हैं। अर्जुन तो इनमेंसे किसी एककी ओर भी आँख उठाकर देख नहीं सकते
śakrasyāpi vyathāṁ kuryuḥ saṁyuge bharatarṣabha | naiteṣām arjunaḥ śakta ekaikaṁ prati vīkṣitum, bharataśreṣṭha ||
দুৰ্যোধনে ক’লে—হে ভৰতশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! যুদ্ধত এই বীৰসকলে দেৱৰাজ ইন্দ্ৰকোও ব্যথা দিব পাৰে। হে ভৰতশ্ৰেষ্ঠ! অৰ্জুন তেনেসকলৰ মাজৰ এজনৰ প্ৰতিও দৃষ্টি তুলি চাবলৈ সক্ষম নহয়।
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how pride and strategic boasting operate before war: Duryodhana magnifies his side’s strength by comparing his warriors to Indra’s level and belittling Arjuna. Ethically, it highlights the danger of arrogance and the use of speech as a weapon to intimidate and shape perceptions, rather than a truthful assessment grounded in dharma.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Duryodhana is speaking to a Kuru elder (addressed as ‘bharatarṣabha/bharataśreṣṭha’). He claims that certain warriors on his side are so formidable they could trouble even Indra in battle, and he asserts that Arjuna cannot even face any one of them—an attempt to project confidence and undermine the Pāṇḍavas’ morale.