Shloka 82

अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः

Devanagari script

धनुर्वेदं चिकीर्षन्तो द्रोणपुत्रस्य धीमत: । युवा रूपेण सम्पन्नो दर्शनीयो महायशा:

Transliteration

dhanuर्वedaṃ cikīrṣanto droṇaputrasya dhīmataḥ | yuvā rūpeṇa sampanno darśanīyo mahāyaśāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: In dem Wunsch, unter dem weisen Sohn Droṇas die Wissenschaft des Bogens zu meistern, war er mit jugendlicher Schönheit begabt—ansehnlich und von großem Ruhm.

Word by Word

धनुः-वेदम्the science of archery

चand

चिकीर्षन्तःwishing to do / intending to learn or practice

द्रोण-पुत्रस्यof Droṇa's son (Aśvatthāman)

धीमतःof the intelligent one

युवyoung

रूपेणby/with (his) appearance; in form

सम्पन्नःendowed; possessed of

दर्शनीयःworthy to be seen; handsome

महा-यशाःof great fame

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Aśvatthāman

Dhanurveda

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the pursuit of specialized knowledge (dhanurveda) under a qualified teacher, and how reputation and outward excellence often accompany—or at least frame—martial education in the epic’s ethical world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a figure intent on learning archery connected with Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman, portraying him as youthful, handsome, and already celebrated—setting the tone for his role amid the war narrative.