Shloka 28

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 96: Sātyaki’s Line-Penetration, Encirclement, and Advance toward Arjuna

Devanagari script

दुर्योधन बोला--आचार्य! आप सम्पूर्ण शस्त्र-धारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ हैं। जो आपको भी लाँघकर आगे बढ़ गया, वह अर्जुन मेरे द्वारा कैसे रोका जा सकता है? ।। अपि शकक्‍्यो रणे जेतुं वजहस्त: पुरंदर: । नार्जुन: समरे शक्‍यो जेतुं परपुरंजय:,त्वरन्नेकरथेनैव समेत्य द्रोणमब्रवीत्‌ । संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! तदनन्तर जब कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन सिन्धुराज जयद्रथका वध करनेकी इच्छासे द्रोणाचार्य और कृतवर्माका दुस्तर सेना-व्यूह भेदन करके आपकी सेनामें प्रविष्ट हो गये और सव्यसाची अर्जुनके हाथसे जब काम्बोजराजकुमार सुदक्षिण तथा पराक्रमी श्रुतायुध मार दिये गये तथा जब सारी सेनाएँ नष्ट-भ्रष्ट होकर चारों ओर भाग खड़ी हुईं, उस समय अपनी सम्पूर्ण सेनामें भगदड़ मची देख आपका पुत्र दुर्योधन बड़ी उतावलीके साथ एकमात्र रथके द्वारा द्रोणाचार्यके पास गया और उनसे मिलकर इस प्रकार बोला-- युद्धमें वज्रधारी इन्द्रकों भी जीता जा सकता है; परंतु समरांगणमें शत्रुओंकी राजधानीपर विजय पानेवाले अर्जुनको जीतना असम्भव है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | api śakyo raṇe jetuṃ vajrahastaḥ purandaraḥ | nārjunaḥ samare śakyo jetuṃ parapuraṃjayaḥ | tvarann ekarathenaiva sametya droṇam abravīt ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, then your son Duryodhana—hastening in a single chariot—went up to Droṇa and spoke: ‘Even Purandara (Indra), the wielder of the thunderbolt, can be conquered in battle; but Arjuna, the conqueror of enemy strongholds, cannot be conquered in combat.’”

Word by Word

अपिeven/also; (here) even if

शक्यःpossible, able (to be done)

रणेin battle

जेतुम्to conquer

वज्रहस्तःthe one whose hand holds the thunderbolt (Indra)

पुरंदरःPurandara (Indra)

नnot

अर्जुनःArjuna

समरेin battle

शक्यःpossible (to be conquered)

जेतुम्to conquer

परपुरंजयःconqueror of enemy cities (epithet of Arjuna)

त्वरन्hastening

एकरथेनwith a single chariot

एवindeed, just

समेत्यhaving approached/met

द्रोणम्Drona

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Duryodhana

Droṇa (Droṇācārya)

Arjuna

Indra (Purandara, Vajrahasta)

Kaurava army (implied context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how morale and perception shape warfare: when a leader publicly concedes an opponent’s superiority, it becomes a strategic and ethical pressure on commanders to respond decisively. It also reflects the epic’s recurring theme that extraordinary discipline, skill, and perceived divine support can make a warrior seem ‘beyond ordinary conquest,’ forcing others to reconsider their methods and responsibilities.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna’s devastating advance (in the surrounding passage), panic spreads through the Kaurava forces. Duryodhana rushes alone in his chariot to Droṇa and declares that even Indra could be defeated, but Arjuna cannot—urging Droṇa to take urgent measures against Arjuna’s onslaught.