Mahabharata 7.11.331 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 11, Shloka 331
Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)
यदि गद, साम्ब, प्रद्युम्न, विदूरथ, अगावह, अनिरुद्ध, चारुदेष्ण, सारण, उल्मुक, निशठ, झिल्ली, पराक्रमी बश्रु, पृथु, विपृथु, शमीक तथा अरिमेजय--ये तथा दूसरे भी बलवान एवं प्रहारकुशल वृष्णिवंशी योद्धा वृष्णिवंशके प्रमुख वीर महात्मा केशवके बुलानेपर पाण्डव-सेनामें आ जायेँ और समरभूमिमें खड़े हो जायेँ तो हमारा सारा उद्योग संशयमें पड़ जाय; ऐसा मेरा विश्वास है ।। नागायुतबलो वीर: कैलासशिखरोपम: । वनमाली हली रामस्तत्र यत्र जनार्दन:
yadi gadaḥ sāmbaḥ pradyumno vidūrathaḥ agāvahaḥ aniruddhaḥ cārudeṣṇaḥ sāraṇaḥ ulmuko niśaṭho jhillī parākramī baśruḥ pṛthuḥ vipṛthuḥ śamīkas tathā arimejaya—ye tathā dvitīyā api balavantaḥ evaṃ prahārakuśalā vṛṣṇivaṃśī yoddhā vṛṣṇivaṃśake pradhānā vīrā mahātmā keśavasya bulāvanena pāṇḍava-senāṃ āgaccheyuḥ samara-bhūmau ca tiṣṭheyuḥ, tadā asmākaṃ sarva udyogaḥ saṃśaye patet—iti me viśvāsaḥ. nāgāyuta-balo vīraḥ kailāsa-śikhara-upamaḥ | vanamālī halī rāmas tatra yatra janārdanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Jika Gada, Sāmba, Pradyumna, Vidūratha, Agāvaha, Aniruddha, Cārudeṣṇa, Sāraṇa, Ulmuka, Niśaṭha, Jhillī, Baśru yang perkasa, Pṛthu, Vipṛthu, Śamīka, Arimejaya—serta para pahlawan lain dari keturunan Vṛṣṇi yang kuat dan mahir menetak—menyahut panggilan Keśava yang berhati agung, lalu masuk ke dalam bala tentera Pāṇḍava dan berdiri di medan perang, maka segala usaha kita akan jatuh ke dalam keraguan; demikian keyakinanku. Perkasa laksana sepuluh ribu nāga, gagah bagaikan puncak Kailāsa—Rāma si pemegang bajak, berkalung bunga rimba, berada di sana, di mana pun Janārdana berada.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how moral and strategic weight can shift through righteous alliances: the mere possibility of Kṛṣṇa summoning the formidable Vṛṣṇi heroes (and Balarāma’s presence alongside him) is seen as enough to throw an opponent’s plans into doubt, underscoring the ethical and practical power of unity under a trusted leader.
In Drona Parva’s war context, the speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) lists prominent Vṛṣṇi/Yādava warriors and states that if they join the Pāṇḍavas at Kṛṣṇa’s call and take the field, the opposing side’s entire enterprise would become uncertain; the verse then praises Balarāma’s immense strength and notes that he is present wherever Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana) is.
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