Shloka 203
ध्रुव एव जयस्तस्य यस्य यन्ता बृहन्नला । (देवेन्द्रसारथिश्नैव मातलिलल॑घुविक्रम: । कृष्णस्य सारथिश्नैव न बृहन्नलया समौ ।।) युधिष्ठिरने कहा--महाराज! सौभाग्यकी बात है कि गौएँ जीत ली गयीं और कौरव भाग गये। आपके पुत्रने कौरवोंपर जो विजय पायी है, उसे मैं कोई आश्वर्यकी बात नहीं मानता। जिसका सारथि बृहन्नला हो, उसकी विजय तो निश्चित ही है। देवराज इन्द्रका शीघ्रगामी सारथि मातलि तथा श्रीकृष्णका सारथि दारुक--ये दोनों बृहन्नलाकी समानता नहीं कर सकते
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dhruva eva jayas tasya yasya yantā bṛhannalā | (devendrasārathiś caiva mātalir laghuvikramaḥ | kṛṣṇasya sārathiś caiva dāruko na bṛhannalayā samau ||)
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Victory is assured for the one whose charioteer is Bṛhannalā. Even Mātali, the swift charioteer of Indra, and Dāruka, the charioteer of Kṛṣṇa, are not equal to Bṛhannalā. Therefore, O king, it is no wonder that your son has defeated the Kauravas and recovered the cattle; with such guidance at the reins, success becomes certain.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Competent guidance and right leadership (symbolized by the charioteer who directs the course) make success steady; Yudhiṣṭhira frames victory as the natural outcome of having an unsurpassed guide like Bṛhannalā.
After the cattle are recovered and the Kauravas are routed, Yudhiṣṭhira attributes the decisive victory to the presence of Bṛhannalā (Arjuna in disguise) as charioteer, praising her superiority even over the famed divine charioteers Mātali and Dāruka.