Shloka 19
यावद्धयकृतविश्वासा द्रुपदे पार्थिवर्षभे । तावदेव हि ते शक््या न शक््यास्तु ततः परम्,पिताजी! इन उपायोंमेंसे जो भी आपको निर्दोष जान पड़े, उसीसे पहले काम लीजिये; क्योंकि समय बीता जा रहा है। जबतक वे राजाओंमें श्रेष्ठ ट्रपदपर उनका पूरा विश्वास नहीं जम जाता, तभीतक उन्हें मारा जा सकता है। पूरा विश्वास जम जानेपर तो उन्हें मारना असम्भव हो जायगा
yāvaddhayakṛtaviśvāsā drupade pārthivarṣabhe | tāvadeva hi te śakyā na śakyāstu tataḥ param ||
Duryodhana urges immediate action: as long as the Pāṇḍavas have not yet secured firm trust with King Drupada—best among rulers—they can still be struck down; but once that confidence is fully established, harming them will become impossible.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and ambition can drive a ruler toward unethical, opportunistic violence: Duryodhana treats trust and alliance as obstacles to be eliminated quickly, illustrating the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that strategy divorced from dharma leads to moral decline and wider conflict.
Duryodhana is pressing for swift action against the Pāṇḍavas before they become securely protected through Drupada’s confidence and support. He argues that once Drupada fully trusts them, any attempt to harm them will be politically and practically unworkable.