Shloka 243
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
सो<पि त॑ नोत्सहेताजौ हन्तुं द्रोणेन रक्षितम् “त्रिलोकीके एकमात्र वीर हैं सहसखनेत्रधारी इन्द्र, जो दैत्यों और दानवोंके भी दर्पका दलन करनेवाले हैं; परंतु वे भी द्रोणाचार्यसे सुरक्षित जयद्रथको युद्धमें मार नहीं सकते
saḥ api tān notsaheta ājau hantuṃ droṇena rakṣitam | trilokīke ekamātra-vīraḥ sahasra-nayanadhārī indraḥ, yo daityānāṃ dānavānāṃ ca darpasya dalana-kartā; parantu saḥ api droṇācārya-saṃrakṣitaṃ jayadrathaṃ yuddhe mārayituṃ na śaknoti ||
Sañjaya said: Even he would not be able, in battle, to slay the one protected by Droṇa. In the three worlds, Indra alone is famed as the peerless hero, the thousand-eyed lord who crushes the pride of Daityas and Dānavas; yet even he could not kill Jayadratha in war while Droṇācārya stands as his protector.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the limits of individual prowess when opposed by superior protection and strategy: even the greatest warrior (Indra) is portrayed as unable to overcome a target shielded by a master like Droṇa. Ethically, it shifts attention from raw strength to responsibility—how guardianship, duty, and tactical arrangements can determine outcomes in war.
Sañjaya describes Jayadratha as effectively unassailable because Droṇācārya is guarding him. To stress the point, he invokes Indra—renowned for subduing Daityas and Dānavas—yet says even Indra could not kill Jayadratha in battle under Droṇa’s protection.