लोहाभिहारो निर्वृत्तः कुरुक्षेत्रम् अकर्दमम् ॥
समः पन्था भृता योधाः श्वो युध्यस्व सकेशवः ॥
असमागम्य भीष्मेण संयुगे किं विकत्थसे ॥
आरुरुक्षुर् यथा मन्दः पर्वतं गन्धमादनम् ॥
द्रोणं च युध्यतां श्रेष्ठं शचीपतिसमं युधि ॥
अजित्वा संयुगे पार्थ राज्यं कथम् इहेच्छसि ॥
ब्राह्मे धनुषि चाचार्यं वेदयोर् अन्तरं द्वयोः ॥
युधि धुर्यम् अविक्षोभ्यम् अनीकधरम् अच्युतम् ॥
द्रोणं मोहाद् युधा पार्थ यज् जिगीषसि तन् मृषा ॥
न हि शुश्रुम वातेन मेरुम् उन्मथितं गिरिम् ॥
lohābhihāro nirvṛttaḥ kurukṣetram akardamam ||
samaḥ panthā bhṛtā yodhāḥ śvo yudhyasva sakeśavaḥ ||
asamāgamya bhīṣmeṇa saṃyuge kiṃ vikatthase ||
ārurukṣur yathā mandaḥ parvataṃ gandhamādanam ||
droṇaṃ ca yudhyatāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ śacīpatisamaṃ yudhi ||
ajitvā saṃyuge pārtha rājyaṃ katham ihecchasi ||
brāhme dhanuṣi cācāryaṃ vedayor antaraṃ dvayoḥ ||
yudhi dhuryam avikṣobhyam anīkadharam acyutam ||
droṇaṃ mohād yudhā pārtha yaj jigīṣasi tan mṛṣā ||
na hi śuśruma vātena merum unmathitaṃ girim ||
“The delivery of iron weapons is complete, Kurukshetra is dry, the road is level, and the warriors are provisioned: tomorrow fight, together with Keshava. Why do you boast, without having met Bhishma in battle, like a fool wishing to climb Mount Gandhamadana? How can you, O Arjuna, desire the kingdom here without having conquered in battle Drona, the foremost of fighters, equal to Shachi's husband in combat, the teacher in the sacred art of the bow, who has reached the limit of both Vedas, foremost in battle, unshakeable, the pillar of the army and unwavering? That you wish, out of delusion, to conquer Drona in battle is false: we have never heard that the wind tore up Mount Meru.”
af0f592d3892 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:52 AM UTC
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In this chapter Uluka's speech becomes Duryodhana's harshest weapon. He recalls the Pandavas' real humiliations, but not for the sake of justice — only to wound and provoke. Notably, the boasting here is aimed at Arjuna: Duryodhana knows the strength of Krishna and the Gandiva, yet still clings to power, revealing a blindness that arguments can no longer cure.