Shloka 51
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
भरद्वाज: कश्यपो गौतमश्न विश्वामित्रो जमदन्निर्वसिष्ठ: । यश्नोदितो भास्करे< भूत् प्रणष्टे सो>प्यत्रात्रिर्भगवानाजगाम
bharadvājaḥ kaśyapo gautamaś ca viśvāmitro jamadagnir vasiṣṭhaḥ | yaś cānudito bhāskare bhūt praṇaṣṭe so 'py atrātrir bhagavān ājagāma ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Bharadvāja, Kaśyapa, Gautama, Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, and Vasiṣṭha also came there. And Atri, the venerable sage—who is spoken of as appearing when the Sun has set and daylight has vanished—likewise arrived. Thus, in great numbers, divine beings and exalted seers assembled, offering praise and honor, underscoring that true excellence draws recognition from the righteous and the celestial alike.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral authority of the ṛṣis and the idea that genuine merit and righteous conduct attract the attention and approval of the wise and the divine; social and cosmic order (dharma) is affirmed when venerable seers gather and bear witness.
Vaiśampāyana lists eminent sages—Bharadvāja, Kaśyapa, Gautama, Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, Vasiṣṭha—and adds that the revered Atri also arrives, described in connection with the time after sunset; the scene is one of a grand assembly of exalted beings coming together at the same place.