चिकीर्षुर् दुष्करं कर्म धृष्टद्युम्नो महारथः ॥
इयेष वक्षो भेत्तुं च भारद्वाजस्य संयुगे ॥
सो ऽतिष्ठद् युगमध्ये वै युगसंनहनेषु च ॥
शोणानां जघनार्धेषु तत् सैन्याः समपूजयन् ॥
तिष्ठतो युगपालीषु शोणान् अप्य् अधितिष्ठतः ॥
नापश्यद् अन्तरं द्रोणस् तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत् ॥
क्षिप्रं श्येनस्य चरतो यथैवामिषगृद्धिनः ॥
तद्वद् आसीद् अभीसारो द्रोणं प्रार्थयतो रणे ॥
cikīrṣur duṣkaraṃ karma dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārathaḥ ||
iyeṣa vakṣo bhettuṃ ca bhāradvājasya saṃyuge ||
so 'tiṣṭhad yugamadhye vai yugasaṃnahaneṣu ca ||
śoṇānāṃ jaghanārdheṣu tat sainyāḥ samapūjayan ||
tiṣṭhato yugapālīṣu śoṇān apy adhitiṣṭhataḥ ||
nāpaśyad antaraṃ droṇas tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
kṣipraṃ śyenasya carato yathaivāmiṣagṛddhinaḥ ||
tadvad āsīd abhīsāro droṇaṃ prārthayato raṇe ||
Wishing [to accomplish] a difficult deed, Dhrishtadyumna, the great warrior, desired to pierce the chest of Bharadvaja [Drona] in the clash. He stood in the middle of the yoke and on the fastenings of the yoke, on the haunches of the reddish-brown [horses]; that the warriors praised. Of him standing on the crossbars of the yoke and climbing [onto] the reddish-brown [horses], Drona found no gap; and it was as though a wonder. Swiftly, as of a roving falcon craving prey, such was the onslaught of [Dhrishtadyumna], seeking Drona in battle.
03ebc9e160ac · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Dhrishtadyumna, like a falcon after prey, ranges across the yoke and the backs of the horses, seeking a gap in Drona's defense — and Drona himself finds no gap in him. It is telling how evenly matched they are: the one born to kill and the one destined to be killed are equal in skill. The verse teaches that fate is accomplished not by disregarding mastery but through it: the executor of destiny does not yield to the victim in valor; and so the outcome is decided not by superior skill but by an appointment beyond all reckoning.