Shloka 3536
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
स एव सुमहातेजा: साम्प्रतं प्रतिपत्स्यते । द्रोण बोले--तुम सब लोग भीष्मजीके पास जाकर मेरे रूप और गुणोंका परिचय दो। वे महातेजस्वी भीष्मजी ही मुझे इस समय पहचान सकते हैं
sa eva sumahātejāḥ sāmprataṃ pratipatsyate |
“That very man of exceedingly great splendor will now be recognized.” Droṇa said: “All of you go to Bhīṣma and introduce me by describing my form and qualities; only the mighty Bhīṣma can identify me at this time.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Identity and credibility are established through rightful testimony and recognized virtues: Drona seeks acknowledgment not by force but by being properly introduced through his qualities, relying on Bhīṣma’s discerning authority—an ethical emphasis on legitimate recognition within dharma-bound society.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Drona is about to be identified. Drona instructs others to approach Bhīṣma and present an introduction describing Drona’s appearance and qualities, because Bhīṣma alone, as an eminent elder, can recognize and validate him at that moment.