Shloka 57
Chapter 47: Krauñca-vyūha Deployment and Conch-Signals
Kaurava–Pāṇḍava Readiness
ब्रवीम्येतत् क्लीबवत् त्वां युद्धादन्यत् किमिच्छसि । योत्स्ये5हं कौरवस्यार्थ तवाशास्यो जयो मया
bravīmy etat klībavat tvāṁ yuddhād anyat kim icchasi | yotsye 'haṁ kauravasyārthe tavāśāsyo jayo mayā ||
द्रोण बोले—इसीलिए आज मैं नपुंसक की भाँति तुमसे पूछता हूँ कि युद्ध के सिवा और क्या चाहते हो? मैं कौरवों के हित में युद्ध करूँगा, पर मेरी कामना तुम्हारी ही विजय की है।
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a tension between declared allegiance and inner ethical preference: Droṇa commits to fight for the Kaurava cause, yet expresses a personal wish for the other party’s victory. It illustrates how duty, obligation, and personal conscience can diverge in wartime.
Droṇa addresses an interlocutor with a stinging rebuke (“like a klība”), pressing him to choose battle rather than seek alternatives. At the same time, Droṇa states his role as a combatant for the Kauravas while revealing a contrary personal hope regarding who should ultimately win.