पाञ्चालेषूत्तमं शूरम् उत्तमाभिजनप्रियम् ॥
नित्यम् उत्तमकर्माणम् उत्तमौजसम् आहवे ॥
युक्तं धनंजयहिते ममानर्थाय चोत्तमम् ॥
यमवैश्रवणादित्यमहेन्द्रवरुणोपमम् ॥
महारथसमाख्यातं द्रोणायोद्यन्तम् आहवे ॥
त्यजन्तं तुमुले प्राणान् के शूराः पर्यवारयन् ॥
एको ऽपसृत्य चेदिभ्यः पाण्डवान् यः समाश्रितः ॥
धृष्टकेतुं तम् आयान्तं द्रोणात् कः समवारयत् ॥
pāñcāleṣūttamaṃ śūram uttamābhijanapriyam ||
nityam uttamakarmāṇam uttamaujasam āhave ||
yuktaṃ dhanaṃjayahite mamānarthāya cottamam ||
yamavaiśravaṇādityamahendravaruṇopamam ||
mahārathasamākhyātaṃ droṇāyodyantam āhave ||
tyajantaṃ tumule prāṇān ke śūrāḥ paryavārayan ||
eko 'pasṛtya cedibhyaḥ pāṇḍavān yaḥ samāśritaḥ ||
dhṛṣṭaketuṃ tam āyāntaṃ droṇāt kaḥ samavārayat ||
The most excellent hero among the Panchalas, dear to the noble, unfailingly renowned for his deeds, Uttamaujas of great strength, zealous in battle for the welfare of Dhananjaya [Arjuna] and [advancing] to my misfortune, foremost, comparable to Yama, Kubera, the Sun, Indra, and Varuna, renowned as a great chariot-warrior, having risen against Drona, not sparing his life in the thick [of battle] -- what heroes held him back? And the one who, alone, having separated from the Chedis, joined the Pandavas -- Dhrishtaketu advancing -- who held him back from Drona?
a6f625e7fed5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
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The king himself admits that these heroes 'strive for Arjuna's welfare' and advance 'to my misfortune': he sees clearly that the best of men have gathered on the side of the Pandavas. Telling is the word about Dhrishtaketu, who 'separated alone' from his own people and joined the Pandavas: one may cross over to the truth even alone, leaving one's own people for the sake of dharma. The comparisons to the guardians of the world [Yama, Kubera, Varuna] again mark the Pandava host with the sign of divine order. The verse teaches that the worthiest gather to the righteous cause, while the father himself calls the unrighteous side 'his own misfortune'; that for the sake of dharma a man will leave even his accustomed camp; and that the side likened to the guardians of the world is the side of dharma.