Shloka 93

अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa

Chapter 161

Devanagari script

तान्‌ वारय महाबाहो केकयांश्व नरोत्तम । पुरा कुर्वन्ति नि:शेषं रक्ष्यमाणा: किरीटिना,विप्रवर! वे यशस्वी पांचाल और सोमक क्रोधमें भरकर दावानलके समान मेरी सेनाओंमें विचर रहे हैं। इन्हींके साथ केकय भी हैं। महाबाहो! नरश्रेष्ठ! वे किरीटधारी अर्जुनसे सुरक्षित हो मेरी सेनाका सर्वनगाश न कर डालें। अतः पहले ही उन्हें रोको

Transliteration

tān vārayā mahābāho kekayāṁś ca narottama | purā kurvanti niḥśeṣaṁ rakṣyamāṇāḥ kirīṭinā ||

Translation

Duryodhana said: “O mighty-armed one, O best of men—hold them back, and the Kekayas as well. If they are not checked at once, then, protected by the diadem-wearing Arjuna, they will utterly annihilate my forces.”

Word by Word

• {'tān': 'them (those warriors)', 'vārayā': 'restrain, ward off, stop', 'mahābāho': 'O mighty-armed (epithet of a great warrior)', 'kekayān': 'the Kekayas (a people/contingent)', 'ca': 'and', 'narottama': 'O best of men', 'purā': 'beforehand, at once, in advance', 'kurvanti': 'they do, they make, they will cause', 'niḥśeṣam': 'without remainder, completely, utterly', 'rakṣyamāṇāḥ': 'being protected/guarded', 'kirīṭinā': 'by the Kirīṭin (the diadem-wearer), i.e., Arjuna'}

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Kekayas
• Kirīṭin (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a wartime ethical tension: when a leader perceives imminent destruction, he prioritizes immediate restraint of the opponent, recognizing how protective alliances (here, Arjuna’s guardianship) can decisively shift power and outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana urgently instructs a powerful ally/commander to stop certain enemy warriors—along with the Kekayas—because, under Arjuna’s protection, they are capable of wiping out his army if not checked immediately.