Shloka 45

Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)

Devanagari script

लोकसम्भावितौ वीरीौ कृतास्त्रौ युद्धदुर्मदौ

Transliteration

lokasambhāvitau vīrau kṛtāstrau yuddhadurmadau

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Les deux héros, célébrés et tenus en haute estime par le monde, étaient parfaitement entraînés au maniement des armes; et, enivrés de l’orgueil que la bataille peut faire naître, ils étaient farouches et difficiles à contenir dans la guerre.

Word by Word

• लोकसम्भावितौ: honoured/esteemed by the people
• लोकसम्भावितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोकसम्भावित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वीरौ: two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• कृतास्त्रौ: trained in weapons / having mastered weapons
• कृतास्त्रौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतास्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• युद्धदुर्मदौ: arrogant/insolent in battle
• युद्धदुर्मदौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धदुर्मद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly acclaim and martial skill can coexist with a dangerous moral weakness: pride. The verse hints that reputation and competence, when joined to arrogance, can make warriors reckless and ethically unstable in the violence of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator characterizes two unnamed warriors as widely renowned and expertly trained, yet driven by battle-fury and pride. This description sets the tone for their conduct in the ensuing conflict, emphasizing both their capability and their perilous overconfidence.