Shloka 34

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata

Lākṣāgṛha Planning

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नाचार्यवृत्ति च परमामास्थितस्तदा । इष्वस्त्रे योगमातस्थे परं॑ नियममास्थित:,शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले एकलव्यने द्रोणाचार्यके चरणोंमें मस्तक रखकर प्रणाम किया और वनमें लौटकर उनकी मिट्टीकी मूर्ति बनायी तथा उसीमें आचार्यकी परमोच्च भावना रखकर उसने थधर्नुर्विद्याका अभ्यास प्रारम्भ किया। वह बड़े नियमके साथ रहता था

Transliteration

tasminn ācāryavṛttiṃ ca paramām āsthitas tadā | iṣv-astre yogam ātasthē paraṃ niyamam āsthitaḥ ||

Translation

Daraufhin, nachdem er die höchste, einem Schüler gegenüber dem Lehrer geziemende Haltung angenommen hatte, widmete er sich der Disziplin des Bogens und der Wurfwaffen. In strengen Gelübden und Selbstzucht lebend, verneigte sich Ekalavya—entschlossen, Droṇa zu ehren—zu den Füßen des Lehrers, kehrte in den Wald zurück, formte aus Ton das Bildnis des ācārya und begann seine Bogenübung, wobei er die Gegenwart des Lehrers in seinem Geist als das Höchste hielt.

Word by Word

तस्मिन्in that (state/time/place)

आचार्यवृत्तिम्the conduct befitting a teacher / teacherly conduct

चand

परमाम्supreme, highest

आस्थितःhaving adopted / abiding in

तदाthen

इष्वस्त्रेin archery / in the missile-weapon science

योगम्discipline, practice, application

आतस्थेhe undertook / he applied himself

परम्highest, great

नियमम्rule, restraint, discipline

आस्थितःhaving adopted / observing

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

ācārya (Droṇa implied by context)

Ekalavya (from context)

forest (vana, from context)

clay image/idol of the teacher (mṛnmayī mūrti, from context)

archery (iṣu-dhanurvidyā, from context)

missile-weapons (astra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined learning grounded in reverence for the teacher: true mastery is pursued through niyama (strict observance), focused practice (yoga), and an inner commitment to the guru’s ideal—even when formal instruction is unavailable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Ekalavya’s resolve: he adopts exemplary disciple-like conduct, dedicates himself to archery and weapons-practice with strict vows, and (as the surrounding narrative explains) honors Droṇa by mentally installing him as teacher and practicing before a clay image in the forest.