पितामह निबोधेदं यत् त्वा वक्ष्यामि भारत ॥
नानुरूपम् अहं मन्ये त्वयि जीवति कौरव ॥
द्रोणे चास्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठे सपुत्रे ससुहृज्जने ॥
कृपे चैव महेष्वासे द्रवतीयं वरूथिनी ॥
न पाण्डवाः प्रतिबलास् तव राजन् कथं चन ॥
तथा द्रोणस्य संग्रामे द्रौणेश् चैव कृपस्य च ॥
अनुग्राह्याः पाण्डुसुता नूनं तव पितामह ॥
यथेमां क्षमसे वीर वध्यमानां वरूथिनीम् ॥
सो ऽस्मि वाच्यस् त्वया राजन् पूर्वम् एव समागमे ॥
न योत्स्ये पाण्डवान् संख्ये नापि पार्षतसात्यकी ॥
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तुभ्यम् आचार्यस्य कृपस्य च ॥
कर्णेन सहितः कृत्यं चिन्तयानस् तदैव हि ॥
यदि नाहं परित्याज्यो युवाभ्याम् इह संयुगे ॥
विक्रमेणानुरूपेण युध्येतां पुरुषर्षभौ ॥
pitāmaha nibodhedaṃ yat tvā vakṣyāmi bhārata ||
nānurūpam ahaṃ manye tvayi jīvati kaurava ||
droṇe cāstravidāṃ śreṣṭhe saputre sasuhṛjjane ||
kṛpe caiva maheṣvāse dravatīyaṃ varūthinī ||
na pāṇḍavāḥ pratibalās tava rājan kathaṃ cana ||
tathā droṇasya saṃgrāme drauṇeś caiva kṛpasya ca ||
anugrāhyāḥ pāṇḍusutā nūnaṃ tava pitāmaha ||
yathemāṃ kṣamase vīra vadhyamānāṃ varūthinīm ||
so 'smi vācyas tvayā rājan pūrvam eva samāgame ||
na yotsye pāṇḍavān saṃkhye nāpi pārṣatasātyakī ||
śrutvā tu vacanaṃ tubhyam ācāryasya kṛpasya ca ||
karṇena sahitaḥ kṛtyaṃ cintayānas tadaiva hi ||
yadi nāhaṃ parityājyo yuvābhyām iha saṃyuge ||
vikrameṇānurūpeṇa yudhyetāṃ puruṣarṣabhau ||
"Grandsire, hear what I shall say to you, O Bharata. I do not consider it fitting that this army should flee while you are alive, O Kaurava, while Drona, the foremost of weapon-masters, is here with his son and friends, and while Kripa, the great archer, is here. The Pandavas are in no way a match in strength for you, O king, nor for Drona in battle, nor for Drauni and Kripa. Surely you wish to spare the sons of Pandu, grandsire, since you endure this slaughter of the army. You ought to have told me at our very first council: 'I will not fight the Pandavas in battle, nor Parshata and Satyaki.' Had I heard that word from you then, the word of the preceptor and of Kripa, I, together with Karna, would already have considered then what was to be done. But if I am not to be forsaken by you two here in this battle, then fight, O two foremost of men, with fitting valor."
67a079be1df2 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:22:45 PM UTC
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Duryodhana speaks in the language of accusation because he cannot accept the reality of the Pandavas' strength. He sees betrayal in the elders' caution, though he himself built this war on the expectation that their duty would serve his desire.