Shloka 20
Droṇa’s Resolve to Restrain Yudhiṣṭhira and Arjuna’s Protective Vow (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरनिग्रह-प्रयत्नः)
द्रोण उवाच न चेद् युधिष्ठिरं वीर: पालयत्यर्जुनो युधि । मन्यस्व पाण्डवश्रेष्ठमानीतं वशमात्मन:,द्रोणाचार्य बोले--राजन्! यदि वीरवर अर्जुन युद्धमें युधिष्ठिरकी रक्षा न करते हों, तब तुम पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरको अपने वशमें आया हुआ ही समझो
Droṇa uvāca: na ced yudhiṣṭhiraṁ vīraḥ pālayaty arjuno yudhi | manyasva pāṇḍavaśreṣṭham ānītaṁ vaśam ātmanaḥ ||
Droṇa berkata: “Wahai raja, jika Arjuna yang gagah itu tidak melindungi Yudhiṣṭhira di medan perang, maka anggaplah Yudhiṣṭhira—yang terbaik antara Pāṇḍava—telah pun berada di bawah kuasamu.”
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of dependence and duty: a leader’s safety hinges on the protector’s vigilance. Droṇa frames success not merely as force but as exploiting a lapse in guardianship—showing how responsibility (rakṣaṇa) and strategic awareness shape outcomes in war.
Droṇa addresses the Kuru king (Duryodhana) and asserts that if Arjuna fails to guard Yudhiṣṭhira during combat, then Yudhiṣṭhira should be considered effectively within Kuru control—implying an imminent opportunity to seize or overpower him.