Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ऐन्द्रिमप्रतिमं द्रोण उपदेशेष्वमन्यत । एवं सर्वकुमाराणामिष्वस्त्रं प्रत्यपादयत्‌,आचार्य द्रोण उपदेश ग्रहण करनेमें अर्जुनको अनुपम प्रतिभाशाली मानते थे। इस प्रकार आचार्य सब कुमारोंको अस्त्र-विद्याकी शिक्षा देते रहे

Transliteration

aiन्द्रīm apratimam droṇa upadeśeṣv amanyata | evaṁ sarva-kumārāṇām iṣv-astraṁ pratyapādayat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: In the matter of instruction, Droṇa regarded Arjuna as possessing an incomparable, Indra-like brilliance. Thus the teacher Droṇa continued imparting the science of archery and weapons to all the princes.

Word by Word

ऐन्द्रिम्Indra-like

अप्रतिमम्incomparable

द्रोणःDrona

उपदेशेषुin the instructions/teachings

अमन्यतthought/considered

एवम्thus

सर्वकुमाराणाम्of all the princes

इष्वस्त्रम्archery and weapons (missile-weapons)

प्रत्यपादयत्taught/imparted (caused to learn)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Arjuna

sarva-kumāra (the princes/royal youths)

iṣv-astra (archery/weapon-science)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights discernment in education: a teacher may instruct all students, yet recognize extraordinary aptitude in one. It also implicitly raises the ethical responsibility that accompanies superior martial skill—training is not merely technical, but morally consequential.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Droṇa is teaching weapon-science to all the royal youths, and within this ongoing instruction he regards Arjuna as uniquely brilliant—comparable to Indra in excellence—signaling Arjuna’s emerging preeminence among the students.