Shloka 11
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
अर्जुन बोले--श्रीकृष्ण! मेरा तो यह विश्वास है कि दुर्योधनको द्रोणाचार्यने अभेद्य कवच बाँधकर उसमें यह अद्भुत शक्ति स्थापित कर दी है। यह कवचधारणा मेरे अस्त्रोंके लिये अभेद्य है
arjuna uvāca—śrīkṛṣṇa! mama tu etad viśvāsaḥ—duryodhanāya droṇācāryeṇa abhedyaṃ kavacaṃ baddhvā tasmin iyam adbhutā śaktiḥ pratiṣṭhāpitā. eṣā kavacadhāraṇā mama astrāṇāṃ prati abhedyā.
Arjuna said: “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, I am convinced that Droṇācārya has fastened an impenetrable armor upon Duryodhana and has established within it a wondrous power. With that armor in place, he has become unreachable by my weapons.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior’s ethical and strategic realism: even great skill has limits when an opponent is protected by extraordinary means. It underscores the Mahābhārata theme that victory in war depends not only on personal prowess but also on protections, boons, and counsel—prompting discernment about means, responsibility, and the shifting balance of power.
In the midst of the Droṇa Parva battles, Arjuna reports to Kṛṣṇa his assessment that Droṇa has secured Duryodhana with an impenetrable armor empowered by a special potency. Arjuna therefore judges that his own astras cannot pierce Duryodhana while that protection remains.