Shloka 423
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 114 — Karṇa–Bhīmasena Missile Exchange, Disarmament, and Arjuna’s Intervention
एते दुर्वारणा नाम काम्बोजा यदि ते श्रुता: । “राजन! ये जो सोनेकी ध्वजावाले रथी दिखायी देते हैं, ये दुर्वारण नामवाले काम्बोज सैनिक हैं। आपने इनका नाम सुना होगा
ete durvāraṇā nāma kāmbojā yadi te śrutāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, these are the Kāmboja warriors known as the Durvāraṇas—men hard to restrain or overcome—whose name you have surely heard.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how reputation and prior knowledge (‘heard of’) shape perception in war: formidable groups are recognized not only by what they do in the moment but by the renown attached to their name, reminding leaders to assess opponents realistically and without complacency.
Sañjaya is reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra about specific troops visible on the battlefield, identifying them as the Kāmbojas called ‘Durvāraṇas’—a renowned, hard-to-check fighting contingent.