Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
एवमुक््त्वा कुमारांस्तान् द्रोण: स्वाडुलिवेष्टनम् । कूपे निरुदके तस्मिन्नपातयदरिंदम:,उन कुमारोंसे यों कहकर शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले द्रोणने उस निर्जल कुएँमें अपनी अँगूठी डाल दी
evam uktvā kumārāṁs tān droṇaḥ svāṅguliveṣṭanam | kūpe nirudake tasminn apātayad arindamaḥ ||
Nachdem er so zu jenen jungen Fürsten gesprochen hatte, warf Droṇa—Bezwinger der Feinde—seinen eigenen Fingerring in jenen wasserlosen Brunnen.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Competence is proved through action under constraint: a teacher may set a hard, even puzzling task to reveal steadiness, resourcefulness, and obedience—qualities essential for disciplined learning and later responsibility.
After addressing the princes, Droṇa drops his ring into a dry well, setting up a practical challenge for the students—implicitly inviting them to retrieve it and thereby demonstrate their capability.