Shloka 24
धष्टहुम्न उवाच बीभत्सो विप्रकर्माणि विदितानि मनीषिणाम् | याजनाध्यापने दान॑ तथा यज्ञप्रतिग्रहौ,धृष्टद्युम्न बोला--'अर्जुन! यज्ञ करना और कराना, वेदोंको पढ़ना और पढ़ाना तथा दान देना और प्रतिग्रह स्वीकार करना-ये छः कर्म ही ब्राह्मणोंके लिये मनीषी पुरुषोंमें प्रसिद्ध हैं। इनमेंसे किस कर्ममें टद्रोणाचार्य प्रतिष्ठित थे। अपने धर्मसे भ्रष्ट होकर उन्होंने क्षत्रिय-धर्मका आश्रय ले रखा था। पार्थ! ऐसी अवस्थामें यदि मैंने ट्रोणाचार्यका वध किया तो तुम इसके लिये मेरी निनदा क्यों करते हो। वह नीच कर्म करनेवाला ब्राह्मण दिव्यास्त्रोंद्रारा हमलोगोंका संहार करता था
dhṛṣṭadyumna uvāca | bībhatsō viprakarmāṇi viditāni manīṣiṇām | yājanādhyāpane dānaṁ tathā yajñapratigrahau |
Dhṛṣṭadyumna said: “O Bībhatsu (Arjuna), the duties of a brāhmaṇa are well known among the wise: performing sacrifices and officiating for others, studying the Veda and teaching it, giving gifts, and accepting gifts and sacrificial fees. In which of these duties was Droṇa truly established? Having fallen from his own dharma, he had taken refuge in the dharma of a kṣatriya. In such a condition, if I have slain Droṇa, why do you censure me? That brāhmaṇa, engaged in base conduct, was destroying us with divine weapons.”
धष्टहुम्न उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames an ethical argument about svadharma (one’s proper duty): brāhmaṇas are defined by six canonical duties (ritual service, Vedic learning/teaching, giving and receiving gifts/fees). Dhṛṣṭadyumna argues that Droṇa abandoned brāhmaṇa-dharma and acted as a warrior using divine weapons; therefore, censuring his killing is inconsistent with the dharma-based evaluation of conduct.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna responds to Arjuna’s criticism regarding Droṇa’s death. He lists the recognized brāhmaṇa duties and challenges whether Droṇa was actually living by them, asserting that Droṇa had taken up kṣatriya-like warfare and was slaughtering enemies with celestial weapons, so Dhṛṣṭadyumna defends the act of killing him in battle.