Shloka 42
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय ५४: दुर्योधनस्य धृतराष्ट्रं प्रति बलप्रशंसन-युक्तः आश्वासनवादः
Duryodhana’s Reassurance and Force-Praise to Dhritarashtra
तस्मिन् मया हते क्षिप्रमर्जुनं बहवो रथा: । तुल्यरूपा विशिष्ट श्ष क्षेप्स्पन्ति भरतर्षभ,भरतमश्रेष्ठ! मेरे द्वारा भीमसेनके मारे जानेपर (हमारे पक्षके) बहुत-से रथी जो अर्जुनके समान या उनसे भी बढ़कर हैं, उनके ऊपर शीतघ्रतापूर्वक बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगेंगे
tasmin mayā hate kṣipram arjunaṃ bahavo rathāḥ | tulyarūpā viśiṣṭāś ca kṣepsyanti bharatarṣabha ||
Duryodhana said: “Once I have slain him, many chariot-warriors on our side—equal to Arjuna in prowess, or even superior—will swiftly shower Arjuna with volleys of arrows, O bull among the Bharatas.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and overconfidence can distort ethical judgment in war: Duryodhana assumes victory and imagines overwhelming Arjuna through numbers and reputed equals, reflecting the Mahabharata’s recurring critique of hubris and miscalculated reliance on force.
Duryodhana speaks assertively about the coming conflict, claiming that after he kills a key opponent, many chariot-fighters from his side—said to be equal or superior to Arjuna—will rapidly unleash volleys of arrows against Arjuna.