Shloka 6

Udyoga Parva 21 — Bhīṣma’s Conciliatory Counsel, Karṇa’s Rebuttal, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra Sends Sañjaya (भीष्म-कर्ण-विवादः; संजय-प्रेषणम्)

Devanagari script

किरीटी बलवान पार्थ: कृतास्त्रश्न महारथ: । को हि पाण्डुसुतं युद्धे विषहेत धनंजयम्‌,“कुन्तीपुत्र किरीटधारी महारथी अर्जुन बलवान्‌ तथा अस्त्रविद्यामें निपुण हैं। कौन ऐसा वीर है, जो युद्धमें पाण्डुपुत्र अर्जुनका वेग सह सके?

Transliteration

kirīṭī balavān pārthaḥ kṛtāstraś ca mahārathaḥ | ko hi pāṇḍusutaṃ yuddhe viṣaheta dhanañjayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Arjuna—người đội vương miện, hùng mạnh, tinh thông binh khí, bậc đại xa chiến—ai có thể chịu nổi Dhanañjaya, con của Pāṇḍu, nơi chiến địa?”

Word by Word

किरीटीcrowned; wearing a diadem

बलवान्strong, powerful

पार्थःson of Pritha (Arjuna)

कृतास्त्रःtrained/armed with weapons (having mastered weapons)

चand

महारथःgreat chariot-warrior

कःwho?

हिindeed, for

पाण्डुसुतम्the son of Pandu

युद्धेin battle

विषहेतcould endure, would withstand

धनंजयम्Dhananjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Pāṇḍu

Kuntī (implied by 'Pārtha')

Kirīṭa (diadem/crown, implied by 'kirīṭī')

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that power and mastery in warfare carry ethical and strategic consequences: provoking a supremely capable warrior like Arjuna is not merely a tactical error but a failure of prudent judgment that can lead to widespread destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna’s exceptional qualifications—diadem-bearing, strong, weapon-trained, and a top-tier chariot-warrior—then poses a rhetorical question to emphasize that few, if any, could withstand him in open battle.