Dhritarashtra on Arjuna's Invincibility

Verse 1 (5.52.1)

यस्य वै नानृता वाचः कदाचिदनुशुश्रुम । त्रैलोक्यमपि तस्य स्याद्योद्धा यस्य धनञ्जयः ॥

yasya vai nānṛtā vācaḥ kadācidanuśuśruma | trailokyamapi tasya syādyoddhā yasya dhanañjayaḥ

He whose words, as we have heard, were never once false — the three worlds themselves would be his, whose warrior is Dhananjaya.

Verse 2 (5.52.2)

तस्यैव च न पश्यामि युधि गाण्डीवधन्वनः । अनिशं चिन्तयानोऽपि यः प्रतीयाद्रथेन तम् ॥

tasyaiva ca na paśyāmi yudhi gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ | aniśaṃ cintayāno'pi yaḥ pratīyādrathena tam

And though I ponder it night and day, I see no one who could go out against that wielder of the Gandiva in battle with his chariot.

Verse 3 (5.52.3)

अस्यतः कर्णिनालीकान्मार्गणान्हृदयच्छिदः । प्रत्येता न समः कश्चिद्युधि गाण्डीवधन्वनः ॥

asyataḥ karṇinālīkānmārgaṇānhṛdayacchidaḥ | pratyetā na samaḥ kaścidyudhi gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ

When the wielder of the Gandiva looses his heart-piercing shafts, barbed arrows and long reeds, there is no one his equal who could stand against him in battle.

Verse 4 (5.52.4)

द्रोणाकर्णौ प्रतीयातां यदि वीरौ नरर्षभौ । कृतास्त्रौ बलिनां श्रेष्ठौ समरेष्वपराजितौ ॥

droṇākarṇau pratīyātāṃ yadi vīrau nararṣabhau | kṛtāstrau balināṃ śreṣṭhau samareṣvaparājitau

Should Drona and Karna go out against him — those two heroes, bulls among men, masters of weapons, best of the strong, never defeated in battle —

Note on the text: Wikisource divides CE 5.51.4–8 differently, so the automatic alignment found no match for its verses 4–9. This verse is CE 5.51.4ab followed by the star passage *0332 (कृतास्त्रौ बलिनां श्रेष्ठौ …), printed in the critical edition after 5.51.4b and not in its constituted text.

Verse 5 (5.52.5)

महान्स्यात्संशयो लोके न त्वस्ति विजयो मम । घृणी कर्णः प्रमादी च आचार्यः स्थविरो गुरुः ॥

mahānsyātsaṃśayo loke na tvasti vijayo mama | ghṛṇī karṇaḥ pramādī ca ācāryaḥ sthaviro guruḥ

there would be great doubt in the world, yet victory would not be mine. For Karna is soft-hearted and careless, and the teacher is old — and Arjuna's own guru.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.51.4cd + 5.51.5ab (Wikisource divides these lines differently); Wikisource reads महान्स्यात् where the critical edition has māhātmyāt.

Verse 6 (5.52.6)

समर्थो बलवान्पार्थो दृढधन्वा जितक्लमः । भवेत्सुतुमुलं युद्धं सर्वशोऽप्यपराजयः ॥

samartho balavānpārtho dṛḍhadhanvā jitaklamaḥ | bhavetsutumulaṃ yuddhaṃ sarvaśo'pyaparājayaḥ

Partha is able and strong, firm of bow and tireless. There would be a most tumultuous battle, with no defeat for either side.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.51.5cd–ef (Wikisource divides these lines differently).

Verse 7 (5.52.7)

सर्वे ह्यस्त्रविदः शूराः सर्वे प्राप्ता महद्यशः । अपि सर्वामरैश्वर्यं त्यजेयुर्न पुनर्जयम् ॥

sarve hyastravidaḥ śūrāḥ sarve prāptā mahadyaśaḥ | api sarvāmaraiśvaryaṃ tyajeyurna punarjayam

All of them are heroes skilled in weapons, all have won great fame; they would give up lordship over all the immortals sooner than give up victory.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.51.6ab–cd (Wikisource divides these lines differently).

Verse 8 (5.52.8)

वधे नूनं भवेच्छान्तिस्तयोर्वा फाल्गुनस्य च । न तु हन्तार्जुनस्यास्ति जेता चास्य न विद्यते ॥

vadhe nūnaṃ bhavecchāntistayorvā phālgunasya ca | na tu hantārjunasyāsti jetā cāsya na vidyate

Surely there would be peace only with the death of those two, or of Phalguna. But there is no one to slay Arjuna, nor anyone to conquer him.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.51.6ef + 5.51.7ab (Wikisource divides these lines differently; it has हन्ता and जेता in the reverse order).

Verse 9 (5.52.9)

मन्युस्तस्य कथं शाम्येन्मन्दान्प्रति य उत्थितः । अन्येऽप्यस्त्राणि जानन्ति जीयन्ते च जयन्ति च । एकान्तविजयस्त्वेव श्रूयते फाल्गुनस्य ह ॥

manyustasya kathaṃ śāmyenmandānprati ya utthitaḥ | anye'pyastrāṇi jānanti jīyante ca jayanti ca | ekāntavijayastveva śrūyate phālgunasya ha

How shall his wrath be calmed, now that it has risen against these fools? Others too know weapons; they are beaten and they win. But of Phalguna alone we hear of nothing but victory.

Note on the text: Corresponds to CE 5.51.7cd + 5.51.8 (Wikisource divides these lines differently).

Verse 10 (5.52.10)

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्समाहूय खाण्डवेऽग्निमतर्पयत् । जिगाय च सुरान्सर्वान्नास्य विद्मः पराजयम् ॥

trayastriṃśatsamāhūya khāṇḍave'gnimatarpayat | jigāya ca surānsarvānnāsya vidmaḥ parājayam

Challenging the thirty-three gods, he gratified Agni at Khandava and defeated all the gods; of any defeat of his we know nothing.

Verse 11 (5.52.11)

यस्य यन्ता हृषीकेशः शीलवृत्तसमो युधि । ध्रुवस्तस्य जयस्तात यथेन्द्रस्य जयस्तथा ॥

yasya yantā hṛṣīkeśaḥ śīlavṛttasamo yudhi | dhruvastasya jayastāta yathendrasya jayastathā

He whose charioteer is Hrishikesha, his equal in character and conduct in battle — his victory is certain, my son, as Indra's is.

Verse 12 (5.52.12)

कृष्णावेकरथे यत्तावधिज्यं गाण्डिवं धनुः । युगपत्त्रीणि तेजांसि समेतान्यनुशुश्रुम ॥

kṛṣṇāvekarathe yattāvadhijyaṃ gāṇḍivaṃ dhanuḥ | yugapattrīṇi tejāṃsi sametānyanuśuśruma

The two Krishnas, ready on a single chariot, and the Gandiva bow strung — three splendours joined together at once: so we have heard.

Note on the text: Corrected युगपत्रीणि → युगपत्त्रीणि (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त — yugapat trīṇi 'three at once'; the critical edition reads yugapat trīṇi).

Verse 13 (5.52.13)

नैवास्ति नो धनुस्तादृङ्न योद्धा न च सारथिः । तच्च मन्दा न जानन्ति दुर्योधनवशानुगाः ॥

naivāsti no dhanustādṛṅna yoddhā na ca sārathiḥ | tacca mandā na jānanti duryodhanavaśānugāḥ

We have no such bow, no such warrior, no such charioteer; and the fools who follow Duryodhana's will do not understand it.

Note on the text: Corrected तदृङ्व → तादृङ्न (misprint in Wikisource; tādṛk 'such' lost its ā and न was misprinted as व; the critical edition reads tādṛṅ na).

Verse 14 (5.52.14)

शेषयेदशनिर्दीप्तो विपतन्मूर्ध्नि सञ्जय । न तु शेषं शरास्तात कुर्युरस्ताः किरीटिना ॥

śeṣayedaśanirdīpto vipatanmūrdhni sañjaya | na tu śeṣaṃ śarāstāta kuryurastāḥ kirīṭinā

A blazing thunderbolt falling on the head may leave something behind, Sanjaya; but the arrows shot by the Diadem-wearer leave nothing, my son.

Verse 15 (5.52.15)

अपि चास्यन्निवाभाति निघ्नन्निव धनञ्जयः । उद्धरन्निव कायेभ्यः शिरांसि शरवृष्टिभिः ॥

api cāsyannivābhāti nighnanniva dhanañjayaḥ | uddharanniva kāyebhyaḥ śirāṃsi śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ

Even now Dhananjaya seems to me to be shooting, to be slaying, plucking heads from bodies with showers of arrows.

Verse 16 (5.52.16)

अपि बाणमयं तेजः प्रदीप्तमिव सर्वतः । गाण्डीवोत्थं दहेताजौ पुत्राणां मम वाहिनीम् ॥

api bāṇamayaṃ tejaḥ pradīptamiva sarvataḥ | gāṇḍīvotthaṃ dahetājau putrāṇāṃ mama vāhinīm

Will not that fiery blaze of arrows rising from the Gandiva, flaring on every side, burn up my sons' army in battle?

Note on the text: Corrected वाहिनी → वाहिनीम् (misprint in Wikisource; the object of दहेत् must be accusative; the critical edition reads vāhinīm).

Verse 17 (5.52.17)

अपि सा रथघोषेण भयार्ता सव्यसाचिनः । वित्रस्ता बहुधा सेना भारती प्रतिभाति मे ॥

api sā rathaghoṣeṇa bhayārtā savyasācinaḥ | vitrastā bahudhā senā bhāratī pratibhāti me

Already the Bharata army seems to me stricken with fear at the rumble of Savyasachin's chariot, terrified and scattered in every direction.

Verse 18 (5.52.18)

यथा कक्षं महानग्निः प्रदहेत्सर्वतश्चरन् । महार्चिरनिलोद्धूतस्तद्वद्धक्ष्यति मामकान् ॥

yathā kakṣaṃ mahānagniḥ pradahetsarvataścaran | mahārciraniloddhūtastadvaddhakṣyati māmakān

As a great fire, spreading on every side with towering flames fanned by the wind, burns up the dry brush, so will he burn up my people.

Verse 19 (5.52.19)

यदोद्वमन्निशितान्बाणसङ्घां- । स्तानाततायी समरे किरीटी । सृष्टोऽन्तकः सर्वहरो विधात्रा । यथा भवेत्तद्वदपारणीयः ॥

yadodvamanniśitānbāṇasaṅghāṃ- | stānātatāyī samare kirīṭī | sṛṣṭo'ntakaḥ sarvaharo vidhātrā | yathā bhavettadvadapāraṇīyaḥ

When the Diadem-wearer, bow drawn, spews forth those hosts of sharpened arrows in battle, he will be as impossible to withstand as the all-consuming Destroyer whom the Ordainer created.

Verse 20 (5.52.20)

यदा ह्यभीक्ष्णं सुबहून्प्रकारान् । श्रोतास्मि तानावसथे कुरूणाम् । तेषां समन्ताच्च तथा रणाग्रे । क्षयः किलायं भरतानुपैति ॥

yadā hyabhīkṣṇaṃ subahūnprakārān | śrotāsmi tānāvasathe kurūṇām | teṣāṃ samantācca tathā raṇāgre | kṣayaḥ kilāyaṃ bharatānupaiti

When, in the palace of the Kurus, I hear again and again of those very many happenings, all around them and at the front of the battle — then indeed this destruction is overtaking the Bharatas.

Note on the text: Corrected हयभीक्ष्णं सुबुहून् → ह्यभीक्ष्णं सुबहून् (misprints in Wikisource; हय for ह्य in hy abhīkṣṇam, and सुबुहून् for subahūn; the critical edition reads hy abhīkṣṇaṃ subahūn).