Shloka 126
Droṇa’s sweeping assault and the Abhimanyu–Jayadratha close-quarters episode (द्रोणस्य भीषणव्यचरितम् / सौभद्र-जयद्रथ-संनिपातः)
द्रोणादस्त्रभृतां श्रेष्ठात् सर्वशस्त्र भूतामपि । राजेन्द्र! यदि रणक्षेत्रमें साक्षात् वजधारी इन्द्र अथवा भगवान् विष्णु सम्पूर्ण देवताओंके साथ आकर दुर्योधनकी सहायता करें, तो भी मेरे जीते-जी वह आपको पकड़ नहीं सकेगा; अतः आपको सम्पूर्ण अस्त्र-शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणाचार्यसे भय नहीं करना चाहिये
droṇād astrabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭhāt sarvaśastrabhṛtām api | rājendra yadi raṇakṣetre sākṣād vajradhārī indra athavā bhagavān viṣṇuḥ sampūrṇadevatābhiḥ saha āgatya duryodhanasya sahāyatāṃ kuryāt, tathāpi mama jīvati sa tvāṃ grahītuṃ na śaknoti; ataḥ tvaṃ sampūrṇāstrāśastradhāriṣu śreṣṭhād droṇācāryāt bhayaṃ na kartavyam ||
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai raja yang mulia, meskipun Droṇa adalah yang terunggul antara para pemegang senjata dan astra—bahkan yang terdepan di antara semua pahlawan bersenjata—namun jika di medan perang Indra sendiri, pemegang vajra, atau Dewa Viṣṇu datang bersama seluruh para dewa untuk membantu Duryodhana, sekalipun begitu, selagi aku masih hidup, dia tidak akan dapat menangkap tuanku. Maka janganlah tuanku gentar kepada Droṇācārya, walaupun dia yang terbesar antara semua pembawa senjata.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fearlessness grounded in duty: Arjuna frames protection of the rightful leader as his kṣatriya responsibility, asserting steadfast resolve even against overwhelming, seemingly divine opposition, and urging the king not to succumb to fear.
In the Droṇa Parva, with Droṇa commanding the Kaurava forces and posing a grave threat, Arjuna addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) to reassure him: despite Droṇa’s unmatched martial skill, Arjuna vows that as long as he lives, the enemy will not be able to capture the king—even if Duryodhana were aided by Indra, Viṣṇu, and the gods.