Shloka 37
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
ब्राह्मणस्य वचस्तथ्यं तच्च कर्म तथाविधम् | भीष्म: श्रुत्वा कुमाराणां द्रोणं तं प्रत्यजानत
brāhmaṇasya vacas tathyaṃ tacca karma tathāvidham | bhīṣmaḥ śrutvā kumārāṇāṃ droṇaṃ taṃ pratyajānata | vaiśampāyana uvāca |
Vaiśampāyana said: The Brahmin’s words were truthful, and his deed was of that very extraordinary kind. When Bhīṣma heard the princes’ report, he recognized that man as Droṇa.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Truth (tathya) gains moral force when it is corroborated by appropriate action (karma). The verse highlights an ethical standard: credibility is established when speech and deed align, enabling wise elders to judge character correctly.
After hearing the princes’ account of a Brahmin whose words proved true and whose feat matched his claim, Bhīṣma immediately identifies the man as Droṇa, setting the stage for Droṇa’s acceptance and role as the princes’ martial teacher.