Shloka 68
Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)
रसं पिबेत् कुमारो<यं त्वयि प्रीते महाबल: । बल॑ नागसहस्रस्य यस्मिन् कुण्डे प्रतिष्ठितम्,“आपके संतुष्ट होनेपर तो इस महाबली राजकुमारको आपकी आज्ञासे उस कुण्डका रस पीना चाहिये, जिससे एक हजार हाथियोंका बल प्राप्त होता है
rasaṃ pibet kumāro ’yaṃ tvayi prīte mahābalaḥ | balaṃ nāgasahasrasya yasmin kuṇḍe pratiṣṭhitam ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Quand tu seras satisfait, ce prince à la grande puissance devra, avec ta permission, boire l’essence de ce bassin — l’essence où demeure la force de mille éléphants.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power is not to be seized impulsively; it is to be received through proper authorization and the satisfaction of the one who grants access, emphasizing restraint, legitimacy, and responsibility in acquiring strength.
The narrator states that a certain prince, once the addressed authority is pleased, should be allowed to drink a potent essence from a pool that confers the strength of a thousand elephants—indicating a sanctioned bestowal of superhuman power.