आचार्यो हि सुसंयत्तो भृशं यत्ताश् च पाण्डवाः ॥
तं रक्षत सुसंयत्ता निघ्नन्तं शात्रवान् रणे ॥
द्रोणो हि बलवान् युद्धे क्षिप्रहस्तः पराक्रमी ॥
निर्जयेत् त्रिदशान् युद्धे किम् उ पार्थान् ससोमकान् ॥
ते यूयं सहिताः सर्वे भृशं यत्ता महारथाः ॥
द्रोणं रक्षत पाञ्चाल्याद् धृष्टद्युम्नान् महारथात् ॥
पाण्डवेयेषु सैन्येषु योधं पश्याम्य् अहं न तम् ॥
यो जयेत रणे द्रोणं धृष्टद्युम्नाद् ऋते नृपाः ॥
ācāryo hi susaṃyatto bhṛśaṃ yattāś ca pāṇḍavāḥ ||
taṃ rakṣata susaṃyattā nighnantaṃ śātravān raṇe ||
droṇo hi balavān yuddhe kṣiprahastaḥ parākramī ||
nirjayet tridaśān yuddhe kim u pārthān sasomakān ||
te yūyaṃ sahitāḥ sarve bhṛśaṃ yattā mahārathāḥ ||
droṇaṃ rakṣata pāñcālyād dhṛṣṭadyumnān mahārathāt ||
pāṇḍaveyeṣu sainyeṣu yodhaṃ paśyāmy ahaṃ na tam ||
yo jayeta raṇe droṇaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnād ṛte nṛpāḥ ||
'For the teacher is well-armed, and the Pandavas are extremely alert; guard him, being well-armed yourselves, as he strikes down the enemies in battle. For Drona is mighty in battle, swift of hand, valiant — he would conquer even the gods in battle, let alone the Parthas with the Somakas. You all together, extremely alert great warriors, guard Drona from the Panchala, the great warrior Dhrishtadyumna. Among the armies of the Pandavas I see no warrior who could conquer Drona in battle, except Dhrishtadyumna, O kings.'
9946e9f70657 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:46 PM UTC
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Duryodhana himself names the one threat that will come true: Dhrishtadyumna, born for Drona's destruction. It is telling that, in listing the teacher's invincibility, he unwittingly outlines the fatal breach as well — as if fate spoke through his own mouth. The verse teaches that foreseeing a danger does not avert it if it is foretold from above: one may know whence the blow will come, set up defenses — and still fail to guard against it; for what is decreed will come to pass, and vigilance itself is powerless before predestination.