Shloka 27
Droṇa’s Resolve to Restrain Yudhiṣṭhira and Arjuna’s Protective Vow (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरनिग्रह-प्रयत्नः)
यदि स्थास्यति संग्रामे मुहूर्तमपि मे5ग्रत: । अपनीते नरव्याप्रे कुन्तीपुत्रे धनंजये
yadi sthāsyati saṅgrāme muhūrtam api me 'grataḥ | apānīte naravyāghre kuntīputre dhanañjaye ||
Droṇa said: “If, in the midst of battle, the tiger among men—Dhanañjaya, Kuntī’s son—can stand even for a single moment before me after being disarmed, then…”
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of testing true valor: steadfastness under disadvantage. It frames heroism not merely as victory, but as the capacity to stand firm even when disarmed—an ideal often associated with kṣatriya-dharma and the harsh moral psychology of war.
Droṇa addresses Arjuna directly, calling him ‘tiger among men’ and ‘Kuntī’s son.’ He sets a condition: if Arjuna can remain before him in battle even for a moment after being deprived of weapons, then Droṇa implies a consequential claim or challenge (completed in the surrounding verses).