Shloka 2
अर्जुन-माहात्म्य-चिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Arjuna’s Strategic Supremacy
तस्यैव च न पश्यामि युधि गाण्डीवधन्चन: । अनिशं चिन्तयानो5पि य: प्रतीयाद् रथेन तम्
tasyaiva ca na paśyāmi yudhi gāṇḍīvadhanañcanaḥ | aniśaṃ cintayāno 'pi yaḥ pratīyād rathena tam ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : «Même dans son camp, je ne vois personne, au combat, qui puisse réellement égaler ce porteur du Gāṇḍīva. J’y pense sans relâche, et pourtant je ne trouve aucun guerrier capable de l’affronter, char contre char.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights sober strategic and ethical realism: a ruler must see facts as they are. Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes Arjuna’s unmatched martial capacity, implying that ignoring such truth—out of attachment or partiality—invites ruin and makes an unjust war harder to justify.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on the balance of power. He admits that, even after constant thought, he cannot identify anyone on his side who can face Arjuna—the famed wielder of the Gāṇḍīva—in direct chariot combat.