Shloka 1
Vāraṇāvata-praveśa and Jatugṛha-saṃdeha
Entry into Vāraṇāvata and Suspicion of the Lac-House
ऑपनआक्राा बछ। अं त्रयस्त्रिंशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: राजकुमारोंका रंगभूमिमें अस्त्र-कौशल दिखाना वैशम्पायन उवाच कृतास्त्रान् धार्तराष्ट्रांक्ष पाण्डुपुत्रांश्व भारत । दृष्टवा द्रोणो5ब्रवीद् राजन् धृतराष्ट्रं जनेश्वरम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--भारत! जब द्रोणने देखा कि धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र तथा पाण्डव अस्त्र-विद्याकी शिक्षा समाप्त कर चुके, तब उन्होंने कृपाचार्य, सोमदत्त, बुद्धिमान् बाह्लीक, गंगानन्दन भीष्म, महर्षि व्यास तथा विदुरजीके निकट राजा धृतराष्ट्रसे कहा--
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kṛtāstrān dhārtarāṣṭrāṃś ca pāṇḍuputrāṃś ca bhārata | dṛṣṭvā droṇo 'bravīd rājan dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janeśvaram |
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Bhārata, when Droṇa saw that the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the sons of Pāṇḍu had completed their training in the science of weapons, he addressed King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lord of the people.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial education as a completed duty under a teacher, but it also signals an ethical turning point: when princes become fully trained, their abilities must be guided by dharma and wise governance, otherwise skill becomes fuel for rivalry and injustice.
Droṇa observes that both the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava princes have finished their weapons-training and then addresses King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, setting up the next event—arrangements for a public display of their prowess and the political consequences that follow.