Shloka 29
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata
Lākṣāgṛha Planning
गदायुद्धे$सिचर्यायां तोमरप्रासशक्तिषु । द्रोण: संकीर्णयुद्धे च शिक्षयामास कौरवान्,उन्होंने कौरवोंको गदायुद्ध, खड्ग चलाने तथा तोमर, प्रास और शक्तियोंके प्रयोगकी कला एवं एक ही साथ अनेक शशण्त्रोंके प्रयोग अथवा अकेले ही अनेक शत्रुओंसे युद्ध करनेकी शिक्षा दी
gadāyuddhe 'sicaryāyāṃ tomaraprāsaśaktiṣu | droṇaḥ saṃkīrṇayuddhe ca śikṣayāmāsa kauravān |
Vaiśampāyana said: Droṇa trained the Kauravas in mace-fighting and in the handling of the sword, as well as in the use of javelins, spears, and śakti-weapons; and he also instructed them in the arts of close, mixed combat—how to employ many weapons in rapid succession and how to face many foes even when fighting alone.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights comprehensive kṣatriya training: mastery of multiple weapons and the capacity to fight effectively in chaotic melee conditions. Implicitly, it points to the ethical dimension that skill is morally neutral—its righteousness depends on whether it is guided by dharma.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Droṇa, as the royal preceptor, systematically instructs the Kauravas in mace-fighting, swordsmanship, and the use of various projectile and hand-held weapons, including techniques for mixed combat against multiple opponents.