Shloka 53
त्वयोक्तो नैव युध्येत जातु राजन् द्विजर्षभ: । सत्यवान् हि त्रिलोकेडस्मिन् भवान् ख्यातो जनाधिप,“राजन! जनेश्वर! आपके कह देनेपर द्विजश्रेष्ठ द्रोण कदापि युद्ध नहीं करेंगे; क्योंकि आप तीनों लोकोंमें सत्यवादीके रूपमें विख्यात हैं!
tvayokto naiva yudhyeta jātu rājan dvijarṣabhaḥ | satyavān hi triloke 'smin bhavān khyāto janādhipa ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, best of rulers! If you were to command it, Droṇa—the bull among Brahmins—would never fight at all; for in these three worlds you are renowned as a speaker of truth.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical power of satya (truthfulness) as a royal virtue: a king famed for truth is expected to be trusted, and his word carries binding moral force even in the context of war.
Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra, asserting that if the king were to order it, Droṇa—described as the foremost Brahmin—would refrain from fighting, because Dhṛtarāṣṭra is reputed throughout the three worlds as truthful.