Shloka 16
Droṇācāryaḥ Senāpatiḥ
Droṇa Appointed Commander-in-Chief
परंतु सब-के-सब एक ही समय सेनापति नहीं बनाये जा सकते, इसलिये जिस एकमें सभी विशिष्ट गुण हों, उसीको अपनी सेनाका प्रधान बनाना चाहिये ।। अन्योन्यस्पर्धिनां होषां यद्येकं यं करिष्यसि । शेषा विमनसो व्यक्त न योत्स्यन्ति हितास्तव,किंतु ये सभी नरेश परस्पर एक-दूसरेसे स्पर्धा रखनेवाले हैं। यदि इनमेंसे किसी एकको सेनापति बना लोगे तो शेष सब लोग मन-ही-मन अप्रसन्न हो तुम्हारे हितकी भावनासे युद्ध नहीं करेंगे, यह बात बिलकुल स्पष्ट है
anyonyaspardhināṁ hy eteṣāṁ yady ekaṁ yaṁ kariṣyasi | śeṣā vimanasaḥ spaṣṭaṁ na yotsyanti hitās tava ||
Karna said: “These kings are all rivals of one another. If you appoint any single one among them as commander, it is certain the rest will become inwardly displeased and, lacking goodwill toward your cause, will not fight with full commitment—this is plain. Therefore, since all cannot be made commander at the same time, you should choose as chief of the army the one person in whom the most exceptional qualities are found.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective leadership in a coalition requires managing rival egos: appointing a commander without broad acceptance can weaken morale and unity, so the leader should choose the most qualified person while anticipating political consequences.
In the Drona Parva, Karna advises the Kaurava side about selecting a commander-in-chief, warning that the assembled kings are mutually competitive and that choosing one over the others may cause resentment and reduce their willingness to fight wholeheartedly.