ते दह्यमाना द्रोणेन सूर्येणेव विराजता ॥
दग्धवीर्या निरुत्साहा बभूवुर् गतचेतसः ॥
तान् दृष्ट्वा पीडितान् बाणैर् द्रोणेन मधुसूदनः ॥
जयैषी पाण्डुपुत्राणाम् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
नैष जातु परैः शक्यो जेतुं शस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥
अपि वृत्रहणा संख्ये रथयूथपयूथपः ॥
te dahyamānā droṇena sūryeṇeva virājatā ||
dagdhavīryā nirutsāhā babhūvur gatacetasaḥ ||
tān dṛṣṭvā pīḍitān bāṇair droṇena madhusūdanaḥ ||
jayaiṣī pāṇḍuputrāṇām idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
naiṣa jātu paraiḥ śakyo jetuṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
api vṛtrahaṇā saṃkhye rathayūthapayūthapaḥ ||
"They, scorched by Drona as by the radiant sun, their valor burned away, disheartened, became as though bereft of consciousness. Seeing them tormented by Drona's arrows, Madhusudana [Krishna], wishing victory for the sons of Pandu, spoke this word: 'Never can this best of weapon-bearers be conquered by enemies, even by Vritrahan [Indra] in battle -- the leader of leaders of chariot-hosts.'"
9cb0da043bab · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna himself admits that Drona cannot be overcome in fair fight even by Indra -- and by this he prepares the resort to another path. It is telling that acknowledging the enemy's invincibility precedes the plan of a stratagem: where strength is powerless, cunning takes its place. The verse teaches that there are knots no sword can cut; and Krishna, who knows the course of events, guides the Pandavas not toward an impossible victory by arms but toward the fulfillment of what is destined -- even at the cost of a heavy moral burden.