Shloka 40
Aśvatthāman’s Admonition to Karṇa on Boasting, Varṇa-Duties, and the Threat of Arjuna
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 45
उपजीव्य गुरु द्रोणं शक्रं वैश्रवणं यमम् । वरुणं पावकं चैव कृपं कृष्णं च माधवम्
upajīvya guru-droṇaṃ śakraṃ vaiśravaṇaṃ yamam | varuṇaṃ pāvakaṃ caiva kṛpaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ ca mādhavam ||
Uttara said: “Having relied upon (and learned under) the revered Droṇa, and also upon Śakra (Indra), Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), Yama, Varuṇa, and Pāvaka (Agni)—and likewise upon Kṛpa, Kṛṣṇa, and Mādhava—(one gains the strength and skill needed).”
उत्तर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Competence and victory are portrayed as arising from proper dependence: honoring one’s teachers and aligning with higher exemplars (divine and noble figures). The verse implicitly discourages arrogance and highlights disciplined learning, reverence, and seeking righteous support.
Uttara is speaking and invokes a roster of renowned teachers and powerful deities—along with Kṛpa and Kṛṣṇa/Mādhava—to emphasize the sources of strength, protection, and martial capability. The line functions as a rhetorical grounding of confidence in acknowledged authorities rather than mere personal bravado.