Mahabharata 7.103.20 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 103, Shloka 20
भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः
Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition
व्याप्रसिंहणजाकीर्णानतिक्रम्य च पर्वतान् । वणिजाविव दृश्येतां हीनमृत्यू जरातिगौ
vyāghra-siṁha-gajākīrṇān atikramya ca parvatān | vaṇijāv iva dṛśyetāṁ hīna-mṛtyū jarātigau ||
Sañjaya dit : Ayant franchi ces rangs pareils à des montagnes, grouillant de tigres, de lions et d’éléphants, Kṛṣṇa et Arjuna semblaient deux marchands qui, après avoir passé des monts périlleux peuplés de bêtes sauvages, paraissent sains et satisfaits ; de même ces deux-là, que la mort et la vieillesse n’atteignent pas, avaient l’air content après avoir surmonté cette armée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights fearless steadiness grounded in divine support: Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna move through overwhelming danger as if beyond ordinary mortality and decay, suggesting that right-aligned purpose (dharma) and divine guidance can make even vast obstacles seem surmountable.
Sañjaya describes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna advancing through dense, formidable enemy formations likened to mountains full of wild beasts; after crossing them, they appear calm and satisfied, like merchants who have safely passed a dangerous mountain route.
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