Shloka 43
स्थिरा बुद्धि्हिं द्रोणस्य न पार्थो वक्ष्यतेडनृतम् । त्रयाणामपि लोकानामैश्वर्यार्थे कथठ्चन,द्रोणाचार्यके मनमें यह दृढ़ विश्वास था कि कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिर तीनों लोकोंके राज्यके लिये भी किसी प्रकार झूठ नहीं बोलेंगे
sañjaya uvāca | sthirāṁ buddhiṁ droṇasya na pārtho vakṣyate 'nṛtam | trayāṇām api lokānām aiśvaryārthe kathaṁcana ||
Sañjaya said: Droṇa’s conviction was firm: the son of Pṛthā (Yudhiṣṭhira) would never utter a falsehood—under any circumstance, not even for the sake of sovereignty over all the three worlds. The line underscores the moral authority Yudhiṣṭhira is believed to embody, and how that reputation becomes a decisive factor amid the deceptions of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal of satya (truthfulness) as a defining mark of dharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s integrity is portrayed as so unwavering that even the greatest worldly reward—rule over the three worlds—would not tempt him to lie. It also shows how moral reputation can shape others’ decisions in moments of crisis.
Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s settled confidence about Yudhiṣṭhira’s character. In the surrounding war context, this belief becomes strategically significant: Droṇa assumes that if Yudhiṣṭhira were to say something, it must be true, making Yudhiṣṭhira’s words uniquely persuasive amid battlefield uncertainty.