Shloka 4
द्रोणसेनापत्यं, व्यूहविन्यासः, उत्पातदर्शनं, आरम्भयुद्धम्
Droṇa’s Command, Battle-Formations, Omens, and Opening Engagement
स भवान् पातु नः सर्वान् देवानिव शतक्रतुः । भवन्नेत्रा: पसजउ्जेतुमिच्छामो द्विजसत्तम
sa bhavān pātu naḥ sarvān devān iva śatakratuḥ | bhavan-netrāḥ prasajjetum icchāmo dvijasattama ||
Duryodhana said: “May you protect all of us, as Śatakratu (Indra) protects the gods. O best of Brahmins, we wish to take our stand under your guidance and leadership.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: protection of one’s side is sought not merely through force but through a respected guide whose authority is likened to Indra’s guardianship of the gods. It also shows how warriors invoke Brahminical legitimacy and counsel to steady their cause.
In the Drona Parva context, Duryodhana addresses a revered Brahmin leader/teacher (implicitly Droṇa) and urges him to safeguard the Kaurava forces, asking to act under his command—comparing his protective role to Indra defending the devas.