Shloka 6

द्रोणसेनापत्यं, व्यूहविन्यासः, उत्पातदर्शनं, आरम्भयुद्धम्

Droṇa’s Command, Battle-Formations, Omens, and Opening Engagement

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ इव विप्राणां तेजसामिव भास्कर: । पितृणामिव धर्मेन्द्रो यादसामिव चाम्बुराट्‌,इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि द्रोणाभिषेकपर्वणि द्रोणप्रोत्साहने षष्ठो5ध्याय: ।। ६ || इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ा भारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत द्रोणाभिषेकपर्वमें द्रोणको उत्साह- प्रदानविषयक छठा अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha iva viprāṇāṃ tejasām iva bhāskaraḥ | pitṝṇām iva dharmendro yādasām iva cāmburāṭ ||

Translation

يمدح دُريودَهَنَ دْرونَ بسلسلةٍ من التشبيهات السامية: «كما يتقدّم فَسِشْتَهُ البراهمة، وكما تتقدّم الشمسُ مصادرَ الإشعاع، وكما يتقدّم يَمَ (سيّد الدَّرْمَ) الأسلافَ، وكما يتقدّم ملكُ المحيطِ الكائناتِ المائية—فكذلك أنت». إنما أُريد بهذا الثناء أن يُوقد عزمَ دْرونَ للقتال، مُصوِّرًا القيادةَ الحربيةَ شأنَ سموٍّ وسلطانٍ وحُكمٍ على مثال الدَّرْمَ ضمن نطاق المرء.

Word by Word

• {'vasiṣṭhaḥ': 'Vasiṣṭha

• the preeminent Vedic sage, exemplar among brahmins', 'iva': 'like

• as (particle of comparison)', 'viprāṇām': 'of brahmins

• of learned priests (genitive plural)', 'tejasām': 'of splendors/energies

• of luminous powers (genitive plural)', 'bhāskaraḥ': 'the Sun

• maker of light', 'pitṝṇām': 'of the Pitṛs

• ancestral spirits (genitive plural)', 'dharmendraḥ': 'lord of dharma

• commonly Yama as ruler/judge of the departed', 'yādasām': 'of aquatic creatures

• water-dwellers (genitive plural)', 'amburāṭ': 'king of waters

• the ocean (as sovereign of aquatic beings)', 'ca': 'and'}

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Bhāskara (Sun)
• Dharma-indra (Yama)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Amburāṭ (Ocean)
• Yādas (aquatic beings)
• Duryodhana
• Droṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how rhetoric of exemplary comparison is used to confer legitimacy and kindle resolve: by aligning a leader with paradigms of supremacy (sage, sun, judge of the departed, ocean-king), Duryodhana seeks to frame Droṇa’s command as naturally authoritative and dharma-like within the war context.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Droṇa’s consecration/appointment context, Duryodhana is encouraging Droṇa to take up command and act decisively in battle. The verse is part of a praise sequence meant to inspire confidence and urgency before military action.