Shloka 39
संजय उवाच एवमुकक््त्वा त्वरन् द्रोण: स्पृष्टवाम्भा वर्म भास्वरम् । आबबन्धाद्भुततमं जपन् मन्त्र यथाविधि,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! ऐसा कहकर वेदवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणाचार्यने अपनी विद्याके प्रभावसे सब लोगोंको आश्वर्यमें डालनेकी इच्छा रखते हुए तुरंत आचमन करके उस महायुद्धमें आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनकी विजयके लिये उसके शरीरमें विधिपूर्वक मन्त्रजपके साथ-साथ वह अत्यन्त तेजस्वी अद्भुत कवच बाँध दिया
sañjaya uvāca evam uktvā tvaran droṇaḥ spṛṣṭvāmbhā varma bhāsvaram | ābabandhādbhutatamaṃ japan mantraṃ yathāvidhi ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, Droṇa hastened; after ritually sipping water (ācamana), he bound upon (Duryodhana) a radiant, most wondrous coat of mail, reciting the prescribed mantras according to rule—seeking to astonish all by the power of his sacred knowledge and to secure victory for your son in that great battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that spiritual disciplines (ritual purity, mantra, learned power) can be directed toward worldly ends; ethically, it invites reflection on the responsibility that accompanies knowledge—whether it restrains violence or amplifies it when used for partisan victory.
After speaking, Droṇa quickly performs ācamana and, while reciting mantras in proper ritual form, fastens a brilliant, wondrous armor on Duryodhana to aid his victory in the ongoing great battle, as Sañjaya reports to the king.