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Mahabharata · 7.47.29–30
॥
Дрона
Devanāgarī
एतत् कुरु महेष्वास राधेय यदि शक्यते ॥
अथैनं विमुखीकृत्य पश्चात् प्रहरणं कुरु ॥
सधनुष्को न शक्यो ऽयम् अपि जेतुं सुरासुरैः ॥
विरथं विधनुष्कं च कुरुष्वैनं यदीच्छसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
etat kuru maheṣvāsa rādheya yadi śakyate ||
athainaṃ vimukhīkṛtya paścāt praharaṇaṃ kuru ||
sadhanuṣko na śakyo 'yam api jetuṃ surāsuraiḥ ||
virathaṃ vidhanuṣkaṃ ca kuruṣvainaṃ yadīcchasi ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतत्etatthis; this
कुरुkurudo [perform]; do
महेष्वासmaheṣvāsaO great archer; O great archer
राधेयrādheyaO Radheya [Karna]; O Radheya
यदिyadiif; if
शक्यतेśakyateit is possible; possible
अथathathen; then
एनम्enamhim; him
विमुखीकृत्यvimukhīkṛtyahaving turned back [having disarmed]; having disarmed
पश्चात्paścātafterward [after]; afterward
प्रहरणम्praharaṇamblow [attack]; blow
कुरुkurudeal [perform]; deal
सधनुष्कःsadhanuṣkaḥwith his bow [while he has his bow]; [while] he has his bow
न शक्यःna śakyaḥcannot be [impossible]; cannot be
अयम्ayamthis [he]; he
अपिapieven; even
जेतुम्jetumto be conquered [to be overcome]; [to be] overcome
सुरासुरैःsurāsuraiḥby gods and asuras; by gods and asuras
विरथम्virathambereft of chariot [chariot-less]; bereft of chariot
विधनुष्कम्vidhanuṣkambereft of bow [bow-less]; bereft of bow
चcaand; —
कुरुष्वkuruṣvamake [render]; render
एनम्enamhim; him
यदिyadiif; if
इच्छसिicchasiyou wish [you desire]; you wish
Translation
"Do this, O great archer Radheya, if it is possible; then, having disarmed him, strike afterward. While he holds his bow, not even gods and asuras can overcome him; make him bereft of chariot and bow, if you wish [to win]."
Version
52adb79f9867 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Drona openly admits: "while he holds his bow, not even the gods can overcome him" — that is, no one can take the boy by honor. From this admission flows the counsel of lawlessness: disarm him, then strike. Thus the invincibility of the righteous forces the unrighteous into wrongdoing — they cannot win without trampling dharma. It is significant that the boy's very greatness becomes the cause of his lawless killing. The verse teaches that where the righteous cannot be overcome in honest combat, the unrighteous inevitably turn to dishonor, for otherwise they cannot win; that the admission "not even the gods can overcome him" is the highest, though unwitting, praise of the boy; and that a killing for which the victim first had to be disarmed brands the killers forever, however renowned they may be — for a victory won by disarming and by numbers is not a triumph but an indelible disgrace.