Shloka 186
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
विराटद्रुपदौ चोभौ भीष्मद्रोणसमौ युधि । 'शिखण्डी
virāṭa-drupadau cobhau bhīṣma-droṇa-samau yudhi | śikhaṇḍī sātyakiś caiva drupada-kumāro dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ | bhīmaseno yamanyur uttamaujā nakula-sahadevau ca | tathā rājā virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca yudhi bhīṣma-droṇābhyāṃ samau ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Both Virāṭa and Drupada are, in battle, the equals of Bhīṣma and Droṇa. Likewise Śikhaṇḍin, Sātyaki, Drupada’s son Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Bhīmasena, the two brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, Yudhāmanyu, Uttamaujā, and the kings Virāṭa and Drupada—these are warriors who can match Bhīṣma and Droṇa in the field.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when confronted by revered and formidable elders like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, dharmic resolve must be paired with clear-eyed assessment of one’s own support and strength. Yudhiṣṭhira’s words model responsible leadership: acknowledging danger while affirming capable allies, thereby sustaining courage without arrogance.
In the lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war, Yudhiṣṭhira enumerates key Pāṇḍava-aligned warriors and kings, asserting that they can match the Kaurava champions Bhīṣma and Droṇa. The passage functions as a strategic and psychological reassurance within the war preparations.