Shloka 13
Duryodhana Seeks Droṇa’s Counsel; Imperative to Protect Jayadratha; Pāñcāla Assault on Duryodhana
अजुन उवाच द्रोणेनैषा मति: कृष्ण धार्तराष्ट्रे निवेशिता । अभेद्या हि ममास्त्राणामेषा कवचधारणा,न शक््यमेतत् कवचं बाणैर्भत्तुं कथंचन । अपि वज्रेण गोविन्द स्वयं मघवता युधि इस कवचको किसी प्रकार बाणोंद्वारा विदीर्ण नहीं किया जा सकता। गोविन्द! युद्धस्थलमें साक्षात् देवराज इन्द्र अपने वज़से भी इसका विदारण नहीं कर सकते
arjuna uvāca
droṇenaiṣā matiḥ kṛṣṇa dhārtarāṣṭre niveśitā |
abhedyā hi mamāstrāṇām eṣā kavacadhāraṇā ||
na śakyam etat kavacaṁ bāṇair bhartuṁ kathaṁcana |
api vajreṇa govinda svayaṁ maghavatā yudhi ||
Arjuna said: “Kṛṣṇa, this stratagem has been planted in the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra by Droṇa. This armor he wears cannot be pierced by my weapons. It is not possible to tear this cuirass with arrows in any way; even Indra himself—Maghavat—could not split it in battle, not even with his thunderbolt. ” In ethical and narrative terms, Arjuna is recognizing a teacher’s tactical intervention in war and warning Kṛṣṇa that ordinary martial excellence is insufficient against divinely fortified protection; the moment calls for discernment (buddhi) rather than mere force.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arjuna highlights that in dharmic warfare, recognizing limits of brute force is crucial: when an opponent is protected by extraordinary means, one must respond with discernment and strategy rather than pride in weapon-skill alone.
Arjuna warns Kṛṣṇa that Droṇa has engineered a plan involving a Dhārtarāṣṭra prince whose armor is effectively invulnerable—so strong that even Indra’s vajra is invoked as an upper benchmark—implying the need for a different tactical response.