Shloka 46
गतो हि पक्षतां तेषां पार्षत: परवीरहा । रथातिरथसंख्यायां यो5ग्रणीरजुनो युवा,शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाला ट्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्न पाण्डवोंके पक्षका पोषक हो गया है। रथियों और अतिरथियोंकी गणनामें जिसका नाम सबसे पहले लिया जाता है, वह तरुण वीर अर्जुन धृष्टद्युम्नके लिये, यदि मेरे साथ उसका युद्ध हुआ तो, लड़कर प्राणतक देनेके लिये उद्यत हो जायगा। कौरवो! (अर्जुनके साथ मुझे लड़ना पड़े) इस पृथ्वीपर इससे बढ़कर महान् दुःख मेरे लिये और क्या हो सकता है?
gato hi pakṣatāṁ teṣāṁ pārṣataḥ paravīrahā | rathātirathasaṅkhyāyāṁ yo 'graṇīr arjuno yuvā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Dṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pṛṣata (Drupada), a slayer of enemy-champions, has indeed gone over to their side and become a mainstay of the Pāṇḍavas. And Arjuna—the youthful hero whose name is spoken first when counting the rathas and atirathas—will, if he must fight me on Dṛṣṭadyumna’s account, be ready to battle even at the cost of his life. O Kauravas, what greater sorrow could there be for me on this earth than being compelled to fight Arjuna?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical anguish that arises when political alliances and duty in war force one toward conflict with a revered or beloved hero; it underscores how dharma becomes emotionally fraught when loyalty, obligation, and kinship collide.
The narrator reports that Dṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata) has aligned with the Pāṇḍavas, strengthening their side. Arjuna—celebrated as foremost among top chariot-warriors—is portrayed as so committed that he would fight to the death if compelled to battle on Dṛṣṭadyumna’s behalf, which is presented as a profound source of sorrow for the opposing side.