Shloka 98
Ulūka’s Provocation and Keśava’s Counter-Message (उलूकदूत्ये केशवप्रत्युत्तरम्)
द्रोणं महाद्युतिं पार्थ जेतुमिच्छसि तन्मृषा । न हि शुश्रुम वातेन मेरुमुन्मथितं गिरिम्
sañjaya uvāca | droṇaṃ mahādyutiṃ pārtha jetum icchasi tan mṛṣā | na hi śuśruma vātena merum unmathitaṃ girim ||
三阇耶说道：“噢，帕尔塔！你想征服那光辉伟大的德罗纳，不过是迷妄。因为我们从未听闻狂风能拔起梅鲁山。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Desire and confidence must be measured against reality: when facing a truly formidable opponent (here, Droṇa), mere wishful thinking becomes ‘mṛṣā’—vain and false. The Meru simile teaches restraint, strategic humility, and respect for genuine excellence.
Sañjaya, describing and evaluating the coming conflict, emphasizes Droṇa’s extraordinary power and steadiness. He tells Pārtha (Arjuna) that hoping to defeat Droṇa is like imagining the wind could uproot Mount Meru—an image meant to convey near-impossibility and to caution against underestimating the Kaurava side’s champions.