Shloka 77
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
एवं राजन्नहिच्छत्रा पुरी जनपदायुता । युधि निर्जित्य पार्थेन द्रोणाय प्रतिपादिता,राजन! इस प्रकार अनेक जनपदोंसे सम्पन्न अहिच्छत्रा नामवाली नगरीको युद्धमें जीतकर अर्जुनने द्रोणाचार्यको गुरु-दक्षिणामें दे दिया
evaṁ rājann ahi-cchatrā purī janapadāyutā | yudhi nirjitya pārthena droṇāya pratipāditā ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O King, thus the city called Ahicchatrā—rich with many surrounding districts—was conquered in battle by Pārtha (Arjuna) and then duly handed over to Droṇa as the teacher’s fee. The episode underscores the ethic of honoring one’s teacher through disciplined effort and rightful offering, even when that offering is won through warfare.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic obligation of a student to honor and repay the teacher (guru-dakṣiṇā). It frames disciplined action—here, a conquest undertaken as a duty—as ethically directed when performed for a rightful commitment and then properly offered to the guru.
Vaiśaṃpāyana tells the king that Arjuna (Pārtha) conquered the city of Ahicchatrā, along with its dependent territories, in battle and then presented it to Droṇa as the promised guru-dakṣiṇā.