इन्द्राद् अनवरः संख्ये गजयानविशारदः ॥
प्रथमो वा द्वितीयो वा पृथिव्याम् इति मे मतिः ॥
स चापि द्विरदश्रेष्ठः सदाप्रतिगजो युधि ॥
सर्वशब्दातिगः संख्ये कृतकर्मा जितक्लमः ॥
सहः शस्त्रनिपातानाम् अग्निस्पर्शस्य चानघ ॥
स पाण्डवबलं व्यक्तम् अद्यैको नाशयिष्यति ॥
indrād anavaraḥ saṃkhye gajayānaviśāradaḥ ||
prathamo vā dvitīyo vā pṛthivyām iti me matiḥ ||
sa cāpi dviradaśreṣṭhaḥ sadāpratigajo yudhi ||
sarvaśabdātigaḥ saṃkhye kṛtakarmā jitaklamaḥ ||
sahaḥ śastranipātānām agnisparśasya cānagha ||
sa pāṇḍavabalaṃ vyaktam adyaiko nāśayiṣyati ||
'Not inferior to Indra in battle, skilled in elephant-riding, first or second on earth — such is my thought. And moreover that best of elephants, knowing no equal in battle, enduring every din, seasoned, tireless, withstanding blows of weapons and the touch of fire, O blameless one — he, Bhagadatta, alone will clearly annihilate the army of the Pandavas today.'
0f86a63557cc · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
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Without envy or fear, Arjuna acknowledges the greatness of his enemy: Bhagadatta 'is not inferior to Indra,' his elephant 'knows no equal.' A sober assessment of the adversary is not faintheartedness but the wisdom of a warrior who measures danger correctly in order to meet it worthily. It is notable that he says plainly: Bhagadatta alone is capable of destroying the whole army — without downplaying the threat. The verse teaches that honestly acknowledging the enemy's strength is the beginning of fighting him rightly; that underestimating an adversary is more ruinous than fearing him; and that true courage needs no self-deception — it looks danger straight in the face, measures it exactly, and therefore meets it not recklessly but fully armed with understanding.