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Mahabharata · 7.69.27–28
॥
Дурьодхана
Devanāgarī
दुर्योधन उवाच
कथं त्वाम् अप्य् अतिक्रान्तः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥
धनंजयो मया शक्य आचार्य प्रतिबाधितुम् ॥
अपि शक्यो रणे जेतुं वज्रहस्तः पुरंदरः ॥
नार्जुनः समरे शक्यो जेतुं परपुरंजयः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
duryodhana uvāca
kathaṃ tvām apy atikrāntaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
dhanaṃjayo mayā śakya ācārya pratibādhitum ||
api śakyo raṇe jetuṃ vajrahastaḥ puraṃdaraḥ ||
nārjunaḥ samare śakyo jetuṃ parapuraṃjayaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कथम् त्वाम् अपि अतिक्रान्तःkatham tvām api atikrāntaḥhow, even you having surpassed [passed by]; how, even having passed you by
सर्वशस्त्रभृताम् वरःsarvaśastrabhṛtām varaḥbest of all who bear weapons; foremost of the armed
धनंजयः मया शक्यःdhanaṃjayaḥ mayā śakyaḥDhananjaya could by me; Dhananjaya could be by me
आचार्य प्रतिबाधितुम्ācārya pratibādhitumO teacher, be withstood; O teacher, be withstood
अपि शक्यः रणे जेतुम्api śakyaḥ raṇe jetumit is possible to conquer in battle; one could conquer in battle
वज्रहस्तः पुरंदरःvajrahastaḥ puraṃdaraḥthunderbolt-handed Purandara [Indra]; thunderbolt-handed Purandara
न अर्जुनः समरे शक्यःna arjunaḥ samare śakyaḥbut not Arjuna in battle can; but not Arjuna in battle
जेतुम् परपुरंजयःjetum parapuraṃjayaḥbe conquered, conqueror of enemy cities; be conquered, conqueror of enemy cities
Translation
[Duryodhana:] "How, if Dhananjaya passed even you, the best of all who bear weapons, could he be withstood by me, O teacher? It is possible to conquer thunderbolt-handed Purandara in battle, but Arjuna, conqueror of enemy cities, cannot be conquered in battle."
Version
a17478fead6c · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Duryodhana himself testifies to Arjuna's invincibility: "api śakyaḥ jetum... purandaraḥ, na arjunaḥ" -- "even Indra can be conquered, but not Arjuna." The enemy admits that one shielded by God cannot be overcome. It is telling that this is spoken by the very man still driving armies against him. The verse teaches that blind passion pushes forward even against a clearly recognized impossibility: Duryodhana knows Arjuna cannot be defeated, and yet does not withdraw; and persistence running against one's own knowledge is the surest sign of ruinous delusion.