Shloka 57
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 123 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa–Vidura Upadeśa to Duryodhana
Keśava-vākya aftermath
बाहुभ्यामुद्धहेद् भूमिं दहेत् क्रुद्ध इमा: प्रजा: । पातयेत् त्रिदिवाद देवान् योडर्जुनं समरे जयेत्
bāhubhyām uddhahed bhūmiṃ dahet kruddha imāḥ prajāḥ | pātayet tridivād devān yo 'rjunaṃ samare jayet ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “He who can defeat Arjuna on the battlefield would be as one capable of lifting the earth with his own arms; if enraged, he could burn all these peoples, and he could even cast the gods down from heaven.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses deliberate exaggeration to convey that challenging Arjuna is no ordinary act; it implies that initiating war against such a champion carries grave consequences and demands sober ethical consideration rather than pride or rashness.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, the narrator (Vaiśampāyana) reports a praise-filled assessment of Arjuna’s battlefield might, presenting victory over him as comparable to cosmic feats like lifting the earth or toppling the gods from heaven.