त्वं चापि रथिनां श्रेष्ठः स्वयं शूरो ऽमितद्युतिः ॥
स कथं पाण्डवेयेभ्यो भयं पश्यसि सैन्धव ॥
अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च मदीयास् तव रक्षणे ॥
यत्ता योत्स्यन्ति मा भैस् त्वं सैन्धव व्येतु ते भयम् ॥
tvaṃ cāpi rathināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ svayaṃ śūro 'mitadyutiḥ ||
sa kathaṃ pāṇḍaveyebhyo bhayaṃ paśyasi saindhava ||
akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca madīyās tava rakṣaṇe ||
yattā yotsyanti mā bhais tvaṃ saindhava vyetu te bhayam ||
"And you too are yourself the foremost of chariot-warriors, a warrior of matchless splendor. Being such, how then, O man of Sindhu, do you know fear before the Pandavas? Eleven akshauhinis of mine will fight ardently for your defense. Fear not, O man of Sindhu; may your fear be gone."
b5461a4e1e14 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Duryodhana appeals both to his brother-in-law's pride — "svayaṃ śūraḥ amitadyutiḥ", "himself a hero, of matchless splendor" — and to the might of his army: eleven akshauhinis for a single head. Yet this whole massed defense only sets off the paltriness of the cause it defends: the army of a whole world is raised to shelter a guilty man from his deserved punishment. It is telling that Jayadratha's fear is not truly stilled by this, only deferred. The verse teaches that numbers and flattery cannot heal timidity where there is no footing in truth: outward force is powerless to grant the heart the peace that only a clean conscience gives.