Shloka 40
धृष्टद्युम्नश्न दुर्धर्ष: शिखण्डी चापराजित: । अश्मका: केकयार्नैव क्षत्रधर्मा च सौमकि:,जिस पक्षमें भीमसेन, अर्जुन, वृष्णिवीर सात्यकि, पांचालवीर उत्तमौजा, दुर्जय युधामन्यु, दुर्धर्ष धृष्टद्युम्म, अपराजित वीर शिखण्डी, अश्मक, केकयराजकुमार, सोमकपुत्र क्षत्रधर्मा, चेदिराज धृष्टकेतु, चेकितान, काशिराजके पुत्र अभिभाू, द्रौपदीके पाँचों पुत्र, राजा विराट और महारथी ट्रुपद हैं, जहाँ पुरुषसिंह नकुल, सहदेव और मन्त्रदाता मधुसूदन हैं, वहाँ इस संसारमें कौन ऐसा वीर है, जो जीवित रहनेकी इच्छा रखकर इन वीरोंके साथ कभी युद्ध करेगा
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | dhṛṣṭadyumnaś ca durdharṣaḥ śikhaṇḍī cāparājitaḥ | aśmakāḥ kekayāś caiva kṣatradharmā ca saumikḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “There are also the unconquerable Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the hard-to-overcome Śikhaṇḍin, the Aśmakas, the Kekayas, and Kṣatradharmā, son of Somaka.” In context, the king is being made to recognize the formidable concentration of Pāṇḍava-aligned warriors—an ethical pressure-point of the war narrative: when such champions stand together, the very desire to fight (and to live) is tested against duty, fear, and the consequences of adharma-driven conflict.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral weight of recognizing strength and consequence in war: when many righteous and capable warriors stand united, persisting in conflict out of attachment, pride, or adharma becomes ethically perilous and practically ruinous.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra (or the narration framed through him) lists prominent Pāṇḍava-side fighters and allied groups, emphasizing their invincibility and battle-worthiness, thereby highlighting the daunting opposition faced by the Kauravas in the Drona Parva context.