को हि गाण्डीवधन्वानं कश् च चक्रायुधं युधि ॥
मां चापि विषहेत् को नु कश् च भीमं दुरासदम् ॥
यमौ च दृढधन्वानौ यमकल्पौ महाद्युती ॥
को जिजीविषुर् आसीदेद् धृष्टद्युम्नं च पार्षतम् ॥
पञ्चेमान् पाण्डवेयांश् च द्रौपद्याः कीर्तिवर्धनान् ॥
समप्रमाणान् पाण्डूनां समवीर्यान् मदोत्कटान् ॥
सौभद्रं च महेष्वासम् अमरैर् अपि दुःसहम् ॥
गदप्रद्युम्नसाम्बांश् च कालवज्रानलोपमान् ॥
ते वयं धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रं शकुनिना सह ॥
कर्णेन च निहत्याजाव् अभिषेक्ष्याम पाण्डवम् ॥
ko hi gāṇḍīvadhanvānaṃ kaś ca cakrāyudhaṃ yudhi ||
māṃ cāpi viṣahet ko nu kaś ca bhīmaṃ durāsadam ||
yamau ca dṛḍhadhanvānau yamakalpau mahādyutī ||
ko jijīviṣur āsīded dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca pārṣatam ||
pañcemān pāṇḍaveyāṃś ca draupadyāḥ kīrtivardhanān ||
samapramāṇān pāṇḍūnāṃ samavīryān madotkaṭān ||
saubhadraṃ ca maheṣvāsam amarair api duḥsaham ||
gadapradyumnasāmbāṃś ca kālavajrānalopamān ||
te vayaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putraṃ śakuninā saha ||
karṇena ca nihatyājāv abhiṣekṣyāma pāṇḍavam ||
When Yuyudhana (I myself) is roused to fury and resolved to fight, they surely cannot withstand his onrush, just as mountains cannot withstand the stroke of the thunderbolt. Who could withstand Arjuna in battle, or the one who wields the discus as his weapon in battle, or me as well? Who could withstand the unassailable Bhima? And who, caring for his own life, would draw near to the twin brothers, who grip their bows firmly and in spirit resemble deadly Yama? Who would approach Dhrishtadyumna, son of Drupada, or these five sons of the Pandavas, who have added to Draupadi's glory, who rival their fathers in valor, who are their equals in every respect and full of warrior pride, or him of the mighty bow, the son of Subhadra, unconquerable even for the gods themselves; or Gada, or Pradyumna, or Samba, who resemble Yama, or the thunderbolt, or fire?
c3270796e846 · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:22:50 AM UTC
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This passage (5.3.16-20) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort toward peace is already underway against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Key themes: the Pandavas, Dhritarashtra, Karna. Here dharma is revealed through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility of kings for the consequences of their decisions.