Shloka 55
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
वार्थक्षेमि: कलिड्रानां यः कन्यामाहरद् युधि । अनाधृष्टिरदीनात्मा कस्तं द्रोणादवारयत्,वृद्धक्षेमके पुत्र उदारचित्त अनाधुष्टिने युद्धस्थलमें कलिंगराजकी कन््याका अपहरण किया था। उन्हें द्रोणके पास आनेसे किसने रोका?
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
Vārthakṣemiḥ Kaliṅdrāṇāṃ yaḥ kanyām āharad yudhi |
Anādhṛṣṭir adīnātmā kas taṃ Droṇād avārayat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Who was it that kept him back from Droṇa?—that Vārthakṣemi, son of Vṛddhakṣema, who in battle carried off the daughter of the king of Kaliṅga; a man unassailable and unbroken in spirit.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial reputation is framed through ethical descriptors—“unassailable” and “undaunted”—while also pointing to the morally charged act of carrying off a princess in war. It invites reflection on how valor and questionable wartime conduct can coexist in epic characterization, and how restraint (someone preventing an encounter) can shape outcomes amid escalating violence.
Vaiśampāyana identifies Vārthakṣemi—known for abducting the Kaliṅga king’s daughter during battle—and asks who prevented this formidable, steadfast warrior from reaching (or engaging) Droṇa. The line functions as a narrative prompt, setting up the mention of an intervening fighter or obstacle in the Drona Parva battle sequence.