Mahabharata 7.183.7 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 183, Shloka 7
एकैको हि पृथक् तेषां समस्तां सुरवाहिनीम् । योधयेत् समरे पार्थ लोकपालाभिरक्षिताम्
ekaiko hi pṛthak teṣāṃ samastāṃ suravāhinīm | yodhayet samare pārtha lokapālābhirakṣitām ||
Vāyu dit : « Ô fils de Kuntī, chacun de ces héros, pris séparément, était capable—seul sur le champ de bataille—de combattre toute l’armée des dieux, quand bien même elle fût gardée par les Lokapālas. »
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic ideal of extraordinary kṣatriya valor: a truly great warrior’s capacity is measured not merely against human opponents but against even divine forces. Ethically, it frames prowess as a formidable power that must be situated within rightful purpose (dharma), since such strength can protect order or devastate it.
Vāyudeva addresses Arjuna (Pārtha, son of Kuntī) and praises certain warriors by stating that each of them, individually, could contend alone with the entire army of the gods, even under the protection of the Lokapālas—an emphatic statement of their battlefield might.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.