Shloka 23
द्रोण–सात्यकि द्वैरथम्
Droṇa and Sātyaki: The Chariot Duel
रक्षमाणाशक्ष तं संख्ये ये मां योत्स्यन्ति केचन । अपि द्रोणकृपौ राजन् छादयिष्यामि ताउछरै:,राजन! युद्धमें जयद्रथकी रक्षा करते हुए जो कोई मेरे साथ युद्ध करेंगे, वे द्रोणाचार्य और कृपाचार्य ही क्यों न हों, उन्हें अपने बाणोंके समूहसे आच्छादित कर दूँगा
rakṣamāṇāś ca taṃ saṅkhye ye māṃ yotsyanti kecana | api droṇa-kṛpau rājan chādayiṣyāmi tau śaraiḥ ||
Arjuna said: “O King, whoever in the battle chooses to fight me while protecting him (Jayadratha)—even if they be Droṇa and Kṛpa themselves—I shall overwhelm them, covering them with volleys of my arrows.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights unwavering resolve in fulfilling a righteous martial vow (kṣatriya-dharma), even when the opposition includes revered elders. Ethical tension is acknowledged implicitly: respect for teachers remains, yet duty and the urgency of justice in war compel decisive action.
Arjuna declares to the king that anyone who fights him while shielding Jayadratha will be met with overwhelming force. He explicitly includes even Droṇa and Kṛpa among potential defenders, signaling that he will not be deterred from reaching Jayadratha.