Shloka 27

द्रौपदी-वरण-प्रत्ययः — Intelligence Reports and the Kaurava Court’s Response

Devanagari script

न तद्‌ धनुर्मन्दबलेन शक्यं मौर्व्या समायोजयितुं तथा हि । न चाकृतास्त्रेण न हीनजेन लक्ष्यं तथा पातयितुं हि शक्यम्‌,“कोई बलहीन पुरुष उस विशाल धनुषपर प्रत्यंचा नहीं चढ़ा सकता था। जिसने अस्त्रविद्याकी पूर्ण शिक्षा न पायी हो, ऐसे पुरुषके अथवा किसी नीच कुलके मनुष्यके लिये भी उस लक्ष्यको गिराना असम्भव था

Transliteration

na tad dhanuḥ mandabalena śakyaṃ maurvyā samāyojayituṃ tathā hi | na cākṛtāstreṇa na hīnajanena lakṣyaṃ tathā pātayituṃ hi śakyam ||

Translation

Dhṛṣṭadyumna sprach: „Jener große Bogen kann von einem Mann schwacher Kraft nicht bespannt werden — so ist es in Wahrheit. Auch kann das Ziel auf jene Weise weder von einem, der nicht vollständig in der Waffenlehre ausgebildet ist, noch von einem Mann niedriger Herkunft zu Fall gebracht werden. Für sie ist eine solche Tat unmöglich.“

Word by Word

• {'na': 'not', 'tat': 'that', 'dhanuḥ': 'bow', 'mandabala': 'one of weak strength

• feeble', 'śakyam': 'possible

• feasible', 'maurvī': 'bowstring', 'samāyojayitum': 'to fit/attach

• to string (a bow)', 'tathā hi': 'indeed thus

• for it is so', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'akṛtāstra': 'one not trained/initiated in weapon-lore', 'hīnajana': 'a low-born/mean person (socially inferior)', 'lakṣyam': 'target

• mark', 'pātayitum': 'to cause to fall

Speaker

धृष्टह्ुम्न उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• dhanuḥ (great bow)
• maurvī (bowstring)
• lakṣya (target)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses adhikāra (fitness/qualification): great tasks—especially martial feats tied to royal contests—require strength and proper training; without disciplined instruction in astravidyā, success is not merely unlikely but deemed impossible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna describes the conditions of a contest involving a formidable bow and a target: only someone strong enough to string the bow and properly trained in weapons can bring down the target; the untrained or socially disqualified are said to be unable to accomplish it.