Shloka 21
कृप: शारद्वतश्वैव यत एतौ ततो भवेत् । द्रोणं च भागिनेयं च न स त्यक्ष्यति करहिचित्,जिस पक्षमें ये दोनों होंगे, उसी ओर शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्य भी रहेंगे। वे अपने बहनोई द्रोण और भानजे अभ्वत्थामाको कभी छोड़ न सकेंगे
Kṛpaḥ Śāradvataś caiva yata etau tato bhavet | Droṇaṁ ca bhāgineyaṁ ca na sa tyakṣyati karhicit ||
Duryodhana said: “Wherever those two stand, there Kṛpa Śāradvata will stand as well. He will never abandon Droṇa, his brother-in-law, nor his nephew (Aśvatthāman).”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that personal bonds—especially kinship—strongly determine allegiance. Ethically, it points to a tension in dharma: loyalty to family and teachers can be virtuous, yet it can also compromise impartial judgment when choosing sides in a morally complex conflict.
Duryodhana is assessing likely alliances. He reasons that Kṛpa will follow the side where Droṇa and Aśvatthāman are, because Kṛpa is tied to them through family relations (Droṇa as brother-in-law and Aśvatthāman as nephew) and enduring personal loyalty.