Shloka 6
ऐरावतगतं शक्रं सहामरगणैरहम् | अथवा रुद्रमीशानं सर्वभूतगणार्चितम् । योधयेयं रणमुखे न मे क्षत्रेड्द्य विस्मय:,तब अभिमन्युने हँसते-हँसते सारथिसे इस प्रकार कहा--'सारथे! इन द्रोणाचार्य अथवा सम्पूर्ण क्षत्रिय-मण्डलकी तो बात ही क्या, मैं तो ऐरावत पर चढ़े हुए सम्पूर्ण देवगणों-सहित इन्द्रके अथवा समस्त प्राणियोंद्वारा पूजित एवं सबके ईश्वर रुद्रदेवके साथ भी सामने खड़ा होकर युद्ध कर सकता हूँ। अत: इस समय इस क्षत्रियसमूहके साथ युद्ध करनेमें मुझे आज कोई आश्चर्य नहीं हो रहा है
sañjaya uvāca |
airāvatagataṃ śakraṃ sahāmaragaṇair aham |
athavā rudram īśānaṃ sarvabhūtagaṇārcitam |
yodhayeyaṃ raṇamukhe na me kṣatre ’dya vismayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “I could face in battle even Śakra (Indra) seated upon Airāvata, together with the hosts of the gods; or even Rudra, the Lord (Īśāna), worshipped by all multitudes of beings. Therefore, to fight this company of kṣatriyas today brings me no astonishment at all.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of fearlessness in righteous combat: a warrior should not be shaken by numbers or reputation. By comparing human opponents to Indra and Rudra, the speaker expresses unwavering resolve and the ethic of meeting danger without astonishment or hesitation.
In the Drona Parva battle setting, a warrior’s confidence is reported by Sañjaya: he declares that even if the enemy were as formidable as Indra on Airāvata or Rudra (Īśāna) revered by all beings, he would still fight at the battle-front—so facing a mere kṣatriya host causes him no surprise or fear.