Shloka 15

Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma

Devanagari script

नाचार्य: कामवान्‌ शिष्यैद्रोणो युद्धोत जातुचित्‌

Transliteration

nācāryaḥ kāmavān śiṣyair droṇo yuddhota jātucit

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Drona, though an ācārya, was never one to be driven by personal desire in matters of war—nor was he ever swayed by his disciples.”

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आचार्यः: the teacher (Drona)
• आचार्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कामवान्: desirous; acting from desire
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कामवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिष्यैः: by/with (his) disciples
• शिष्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• द्रोणः: Drona
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• उत: indeed; and; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• जातु: ever; at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु

• चित्: even; at all (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Droṇa
• śiṣya (disciples)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A true ācārya should not be ruled by kāma (self-interested desire) or by partiality toward disciples; ethical steadiness and impartial judgment are especially vital in the context of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana characterizes Droṇa’s disposition, asserting that he was not desire-driven in warfare and was not led astray by his disciples—framing Droṇa as acting from duty rather than personal craving or factional pressure.