SánscritoIASTSignificado
सः हि ब्रह्मविदां श्रेष्ठः ब्रह्मास्त्रे च अपि अनुत्तमःsaḥ hi brahmavidāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ brahmāstre ca api anuttamaḥ"for he is the best of those who know Brahman, and in the Brahma-weapon too unsurpassed;
तस्मात् द्रोणः पराजैषीत् मां वै सः सखिविग्रहेtasmāt droṇaḥ parājaiṣīt māṃ vai saḥ sakhivigrahetherefore Drona defeated me in the quarrel [of former] friends;
क्षत्रियः न अस्ति तुल्यः अस्य पृथिव्यां कः चित् अग्रणीःkṣatriyaḥ na asti tulyaḥ asya pṛthivyāṃ kaḥ cit agraṇīḥthere is no kshatriya equal to him on earth, none foremost,
कौरवाचार्यमुख्यस्य भारद्वाजस्य धीमतःkauravācāryamukhyasya bhāradvājasya dhīmataḥ[equal] to the chief teacher of the Kurus, the wise son of Bharadvaja;
द्रोणस्य शरजालानि प्राणिदेहहराणि चdroṇasya śarajālāni prāṇidehaharāṇi caDrona's nets of arrows, which take away life and body,
षडरत्नि धनुः च अस्य दृश्यते अप्रतिमं महत्ṣaḍaratni dhanuḥ ca asya dṛśyate apratimaṃ mahatand his incomparable, great bow of six ratnis [cubits] are seen;
सः हि ब्राह्मणवेगेन क्षात्रं वेगम् असंशयम्saḥ hi brāhmaṇavegena kṣātraṃ vegam asaṃśayamfor he, with brahmanical force, kshatriya force, without doubt,
प्रतिहन्ति महेष्वासः भारद्वाजः महामनाःpratihanti maheṣvāsaḥ bhāradvājaḥ mahāmanāḥrepels, the great archer, the high-souled son of Bharadvaja;
क्षत्रोच्छेदाय विहितः जामदग्न्यः इव आस्थितःkṣatrocchedāya vihitaḥ jāmadagnyaḥ iva āsthitaḥappointed for the destruction of kshatriyas, standing like Jamadagnya [Parashurama];
तस्य हि अस्त्रबलं घोरम् अप्रसह्यं नरैः भुविtasya hi astrabalaṃ ghoram aprasahyaṃ naraiḥ bhuvifor the might of his weapons is terrible, unbearable by men on earth;
ब्राह्मम् उच्चारयन् तेजः हुताहुतिः इव अनलःbrāhmam uccārayan tejaḥ hutāhutiḥ iva analaḥproclaiming brahmanic power, like fire fed by oblations,
समेत्य सः दहति आजौ क्षत्रं ब्रह्मपुरःसरःsametya saḥ dahati ājau kṣatraṃ brahmapuraḥsaraḥmeeting [in battle], he burns up the kshatra in the fight, [leading] with Brahman before him;
ब्रह्मक्षत्रे च विहिते ब्रह्मतेजः विशिष्यतेbrahmakṣatre ca vihite brahmatejaḥ viśiṣyateand when Brahman and Kshatra meet, brahmanic power prevails";
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेष्ठोśreṣṭhooriginal form "śreṣṭho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाप्य्cāpyoriginal form "cāpy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माद्tasmādoriginal form "tasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पराजैषीन्parājaiṣīnoriginal form "parājaiṣīn", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियोkṣatriyooriginal form "kṣatriyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नास्तिnāstioriginal form "nāsti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुल्योtulyooriginal form "tulyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्य'syaoriginal form "'sya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कश्kaśoriginal form "kaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धनुश्dhanuśoriginal form "dhanuś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चास्यcāsyaoriginal form "cāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽप्रतिमं'pratimaṃoriginal form "'pratimaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महेष्वासोmaheṣvāsooriginal form "maheṣvāso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भारद्वाजोbhāradvājooriginal form "bhāradvājo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विहितोvihitooriginal form "vihito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जामदग्न्यjāmadagnyaoriginal form "jāmadagnya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवास्थितःivāsthitaḥoriginal form "ivāsthitaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नरैर्narairoriginal form "narair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उच्चारयंस्uccārayaṃsoriginal form "uccārayaṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेजोtejooriginal form "tejo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हुताहुतिर्hutāhutiroriginal form "hutāhutir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवानलःivānalaḥoriginal form "ivānalaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दहत्य्dahatyoriginal form "dahaty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रह्मतेजोbrahmatejooriginal form "brahmatejo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the superiority of spiritual might over martial force is proclaimed by an enemy's own mouth. Telling is Drupada's admission: Drona is unconquerable not by the bow alone, but because he unites brahmanical strength with kshatriya strength; "where Brahman and Kshatra meet, Brahman prevails." Here is the truth of the primacy of spirit: a strength grounded in austerity and the Veda surpasses all bodily might. It is telling that this truth is acknowledged by the very man who was defeated: defeat has taught him to see where true strength lies. Thus the scripture shows that spiritual power overcomes brute force; and so Drupada, in order to overthrow a brahman-warrior, seeks not a warrior but the power of a still higher brahmanical rite.