यत्र यत्र तु पाण्डूनां द्रोणो द्रावयते चमूम् ॥
किरञ् शरसहस्राणि तत्र तत्र प्रयाम्य् अहम् ॥
स त्वम् एवंविधं कृत्वा कर्म चाण्डालवत् स्वयम् ॥
वक्तुम् इच्छसि वक्तव्यः कस्मान् मां परुषाण्य् अथ ॥
कर्ता त्वं कर्मणोग्रस्य नाहं वृष्णिकुलाधम ॥
पापानां च त्वम् आवासः कर्मणां मा पुनर् वद ॥
yatra yatra tu pāṇḍūnāṃ droṇo drāvayate camūm ||
kirañ śarasahasrāṇi tatra tatra prayāmy aham ||
sa tvam evaṃvidhaṃ kṛtvā karma cāṇḍālavat svayam ||
vaktum icchasi vaktavyaḥ kasmān māṃ paruṣāṇy atha ||
kartā tvaṃ karmaṇograsya nāhaṃ vṛṣṇikulādhama ||
pāpānāṃ ca tvam āvāsaḥ karmaṇāṃ mā punar vada ||
'Wherever Drona put the army of the Pandus to flight, scattering thousands of arrows, there and there I rushed. You, having yourself done such a deed, like a chandala — wish to revile [me]? [Yourself] deserving reproach, why do you [assail] me with harsh words? You are the doer of that fierce deed, not I, o vilest of the Vrishni clan; and you are the dwelling place of sinful deeds — speak no more [of it].'
26897de27fc7 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Dhrishtadyumna points to his own courage — he rushed wherever Drona was crushing the army — and turns the accusation back: 'the doer of that vile deed is you.' It is telling that the quarrel has become a contest of reproaches, each calling the other a vessel of sin. The verse teaches that mutual accusation is fruitless — it only multiplies bitterness without bringing truth closer; and where two are equally stained, a squabble over who is filthier is unworthy of both.