यावद् भीमो महाबाहुर् विगाह्य महतीं चमूम् ॥
सोदरांस् ते न मृद्नाति तावत् संशाम्य पाण्डवैः ॥
पूर्वम् उक्तश् च ते भ्राता भीष्मेण स सुयोधनः ॥
अजेयाः पाण्डवाः संख्ये सौम्य संशाम्य पाण्डवैः ॥
न च तत् कृतवान् मन्दस् तव भ्राता सुयोधनः ॥
स युद्धे धृतिम् आस्थाय यत्तो युध्यस्व पाण्डवैः ॥
गच्छ तूर्णं रथेनैव तत्र तिष्ठति सात्यकिः ॥
त्वया हीनं बलं ह्य् एतद् विद्रविष्यति भारत ॥
आत्मार्थं योधय रणे सात्यकिं सत्यविक्रमम् ॥
yāvad bhīmo mahābāhur vigāhya mahatīṃ camūm ||
sodarāṃs te na mṛdnāti tāvat saṃśāmya pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
pūrvam uktaś ca te bhrātā bhīṣmeṇa sa suyodhanaḥ ||
ajeyāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ saṃkhye saumya saṃśāmya pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
na ca tat kṛtavān mandas tava bhrātā suyodhanaḥ ||
sa yuddhe dhṛtim āsthāya yatto yudhyasva pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
gaccha tūrṇaṃ rathenaiva tatra tiṣṭhati sātyakiḥ ||
tvayā hīnaṃ balaṃ hy etad vidraviṣyati bhārata ||
ātmārthaṃ yodhaya raṇe sātyakiṃ satyavikramam ||
"While mighty-armed Bhīma, plunging into the great host, has not yet crushed your brothers — until then make peace with the Pāṇḍavas. And it was said before by Bhīṣma to your brother Suyodhana: the Pāṇḍavas are unconquerable in battle, O gentle one — make peace with the Pāṇḍavas. But this the foolish Suyodhana, your brother, did not do. [Since it stands so,] gathering firmness in battle, prepared, fight the Pāṇḍavas; go swiftly by chariot to where Sātyaki stands. For indeed this army, deprived of you, will scatter in rout, O Bhārata; for your own sake, fight in battle with Sātyaki, of true valor."
a1a27a880cd0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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Droṇa invokes Bhīṣma himself: "ajeyāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ" — the Pāṇḍavas are unconquerable, peace was possible from the start. But seeing Duḥśāsana's obstinacy, he ends with a call to firmness: if not peace, then at least not flight. It is telling that the teacher first calls to the higher path (peace), then to the lesser (courage). The verse teaches that the wise offer first what is best, and, being refused, then counsel at least to meet the chosen fate with dignity: where peace is not accepted, only valor remains, and to flee from it is more shameful than to fall.