Shloka 13
Nārada’s Visit at Indraprastha and Counsel on Concord; Introduction to Sundopasunda–Tilottamā
अजेयो हार्जुन: संख्ये पृष्ठगोपे वृकोदरे । तमृते फाल्गुनो युद्धे राधेयस्य न पादभाक्,भीमसेनको पृष्ठ रक्षक पाकर ही अर्जुन युद्धमें अजेय बने हुए हैं। यदि भीम न हों तो वे रणभूमिमें कर्णकी एक चौथाईके बराबर भी नहीं हो सकेंगे
ajeyo hārjunaḥ saṅkhye pṛṣṭhagopaḥ vṛkodare | tam ṛte phālguno yuddhe rādheyasya na pādabhāk ||
Dijo Duryodhana: «Arjuna es invencible en la batalla porque Bhima (Vṛkodara) le guarda la espalda. Sin él, Phalguna (Arjuna) en la guerra no sería digno ni de una cuarta parte frente a Radheya (Karna)».
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how envy and rivalry distort judgment: Duryodhana reduces Arjuna’s prowess by crediting it to Bhima’s protection and by framing worth as comparative dominance. Ethically, it cautions that pride and resentment can lead one to deny others’ virtues and to see alliances only as grounds for disparagement.
Duryodhana speaks about battlefield dynamics, claiming Arjuna’s ‘invincibility’ depends on Bhima guarding his rear. He then asserts that without Bhima, Arjuna would not match even a quarter of Karna’s worth in war—an expression of Duryodhana’s partisan admiration for Karna and hostility toward the Pandavas.