कथं जीवति दुर्धर्षे त्वयि राधेय फल्गुनः ॥
अनस्तंगत आदित्ये हन्यात् सैन्धवकं नृपम् ॥
रक्षितं मद्रराजेन कृपेण च महात्मना ॥
जयद्रथं रणमुखे कथं हन्याद् धनंजयः ॥
द्रौणिना रक्ष्यमाणं च मया दुःशासनेन च ॥
कथं प्राप्स्यति बीभत्सुः सैन्धवं कालचोदितः ॥
kathaṃ jīvati durdharṣe tvayi rādheya phalgunaḥ ||
anastaṃgata āditye hanyāt saindhavakaṃ nṛpam ||
rakṣitaṃ madrarājena kṛpeṇa ca mahātmanā ||
jayadrathaṃ raṇamukhe kathaṃ hanyād dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
drauṇinā rakṣyamāṇaṃ ca mayā duḥśāsanena ca ||
kathaṃ prāpsyati bībhatsuḥ saindhavaṃ kālacoditaḥ ||
"How, while you, the unassailable one, Radheya, are living, while the sun has not yet set, would Phalguna manage to slay the Sindhu king? Jayadratha, guarded by the king of Madra and by great-souled Kripa, in the forefront of battle — how would Dhananjaya slay him? And guarded by Drauni, by me, and by Duhshasana — how would Bibhatsu reach Saindhava, driven though he be by Time?"
727932fd6b51 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Duryodhana repeats "how would he slay him?" three times, lulling himself with a roll call of defenders. It is telling that he calls Arjuna "driven by Time" without noticing that Time is driving his own cause toward its end as well. The verse teaches that a heap of obstacles reassures only the fainthearted; one who keeps asking "how could he possibly manage?" is not conjuring the enemy away but his own fear, which grows stronger the longer the list of his supports.