Shloka 5
Śikhaṇḍinī’s Disclosure, Drupada’s Counsel, and the Petition to Yakṣa Sthūṇākarṇa
Udyoga Parva 192
केन कालेन गाड़्ेय क्षपयेथा महाद्युते । आचार्यो वा महेष्वास: कृपो वा सुमहाबल:,“महातेजस्वी गंगानन्दन! आप कितने समयमें इस सारी सेनाका विध्वंस कर सकते हैं? महाधनुर्धर द्रोणाचार्य, अत्यन्त बलशाली कृपाचार्य, युद्धकी स्पृहा रखनेवाले कर्ण अथवा द्विजश्रेष्ठ अश्वत्थामा कितने समयमें शत्रुसेनाका संहार कर सकते हैं; क्योंकि मेरी सेनामें आप ही सब लोग दिव्यास्त्रोंके ज्ञाता हैं
Sañjaya uvāca: kena kālena gāṅgeya kṣapayethā mahādyute | ācāryo vā maheṣvāsaḥ kṛpo vā sumahābalaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O Gāṅgeya, radiant with great splendor—within what span of time could you bring this entire army to destruction? And in what time could the Teacher Droṇa, that great archer, or Kripa of immense strength, accomplish the annihilation of the opposing host?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of martial superiority: those who possess exceptional power and knowledge are accountable for how swiftly and decisively they can cause mass destruction, implying the need for discernment and restraint even amid preparations for war.
Sañjaya addresses Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya) and asks how long it would take him—and likewise Droṇa and Kṛpa—to destroy the opposing army, reflecting a strategic assessment of the leading warriors’ capacities as the conflict approaches.