Shloka 186
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
विराटद्रुपदौ चोभौ भीष्मद्रोणसमौ युधि । 'शिखण्डी
virāṭa-drupadau cobhau bhīṣma-droṇa-samau yudhi | śikhaṇḍī sātyakiś caiva drupada-kumāro dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ | bhīmaseno yamanyur uttamaujā nakula-sahadevau ca | tathā rājā virāṭaś ca drupadaś ca yudhi bhīṣma-droṇābhyāṃ samau ||
Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Tanto Virāṭa quanto Drupada são, em batalha, iguais a Bhīṣma e Droṇa. Do mesmo modo Śikhaṇḍin, Sātyaki, o filho de Drupada Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Bhīmasena, os dois irmãos Nakula e Sahadeva, Yudhāmanyu, Uttamaujā, e os reis Virāṭa e Drupada—todos são guerreiros capazes de se medir com Bhīṣma e Droṇa no campo.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when confronted by revered and formidable elders like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, dharmic resolve must be paired with clear-eyed assessment of one’s own support and strength. Yudhiṣṭhira’s words model responsible leadership: acknowledging danger while affirming capable allies, thereby sustaining courage without arrogance.
In the lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war, Yudhiṣṭhira enumerates key Pāṇḍava-aligned warriors and kings, asserting that they can match the Kaurava champions Bhīṣma and Droṇa. The passage functions as a strategic and psychological reassurance within the war preparations.