Mahabharata 7.13.126 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 13, 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
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 disse: “Ó rei, embora Droṇa seja o mais eminente entre os que manejam armas e astra—o primeiro entre todos os guerreiros armados—, ainda que no campo de batalha o próprio Indra, portador do vajra, ou o Senhor Viṣṇu viessem com todos os deuses para auxiliar Duryodhana, mesmo assim, enquanto eu viver, ele não poderá capturar-te. Portanto, não deves temer Droṇācārya, ainda que seja o maior entre todos os portadores de armas.”
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.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.