Shloka 3
तपसा च कृतज्ञत्वाद वृद्ध: सर्वगुणैरपि । युक्तो भवत्समो गोप्ता राज्ञामन्यो न विद्यते
tapasā ca kṛtajñatvād vṛddhaḥ sarvaguṇair api | yukto bhavatsamo goptā rājñām anyo na vidyate ||
Duryodhana said: “By your austerity and your gratitude, and by your seniority and every virtue besides, you are fit to be a protector equal to yourself; among kings there is no other guardian to be found like you.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ideal guardianship as grounded in tapas (self-discipline), kṛtajñatā (gratitude/loyal recognition of obligations), seniority, and comprehensive virtue—suggesting that legitimate protection of a realm depends on moral qualities, not merely power.
In the Drona Parva context, Duryodhana is addressing a respected elder/leader and extolling his qualifications as a uniquely capable protector among kings, using formal praise to affirm authority and secure committed leadership in the ongoing war.