युधिष्ठिर उवाच
एवं ते भाषमाणस्य बलं सौभद्र वर्धताम् ॥
यस् त्वम् उत्सहसे भेत्तुं द्रोणानीकं सुदुर्भिदम् ॥
रक्षितं पुरुषव्याघ्रैर् महेष्वासैः प्रहारिभिः ॥
साध्यरुद्रमरुत्कल्पैर् वस्वग्न्यादित्यविक्रमैः ॥
संजय उवाच
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा स यन्तारम् अचोदयत् ॥
सुमित्राश्वान् रणे क्षिप्रं द्रोणानीकाय चोदय ॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
evaṃ te bhāṣamāṇasya balaṃ saubhadra vardhatām ||
yas tvam utsahase bhettuṃ droṇānīkaṃ sudurbhidam ||
rakṣitaṃ puruṣavyāghrair maheṣvāsaiḥ prahāribhiḥ ||
sādhyarudramarutkalpair vasvagnyādityavikramaiḥ ||
saṃjaya uvāca
tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā sa yantāram acodayat ||
sumitrāśvān raṇe kṣipraṃ droṇānīkāya codaya ||
"May your strength increase, O son of Subhadra, speaking thus -- you who dare to break through the extremely impregnable array of Drona, guarded by tiger-like men, great archers, formidable warriors, like the Sadhyas, Rudras and Maruts, with the valor of the Vasus, Agni and Adityas." Having heard that word, he [Abhimanyu] urged on his charioteer: "O Sumitra, drive the horses swiftly into battle, toward Drona's array!"
505fa892514f · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
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The elders' blessing -- "may your strength increase" -- and the youth's answering impulse: "drive the horses toward Drona's array!" In this rushing of the young toward the unconquerable lies the whole purity of his courage, untouched by calculation. The defenders of the array are likened to hosts of gods -- and against them a single youth surges forward. It is telling that his last word is a command to his charioteer, tearing through delay: he does not hesitate for a moment. The verse teaches that the blessing of those who love us multiplies the strength of one going to his feat; that youthful courage rushes to meet god-like foes without a shadow of fear, for it is pure and does not count the cost; and that in this doubt-free rush of the youth toward the fateful array lies both the greatest beauty of his spirit and the greatest sorrow -- for we, the readers, already know how this headlong charge will end, a charge he himself will not wish to halt.