Shloka 353
तेन शिष्येण सर्वेभ्य: शस्त्रविद्भ्य: परंतप: । भारत! शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले द्रोणाचार्य उस शिष्यके द्वारा अपने-आपको भूमण्डलके सभी शस्त्रवेत्ताओंसे श्रेष्ठ मानने लगे
tena śiṣyeṇa sarvebhyaḥ śastravidbhyaḥ parantapaḥ | bhārata! śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-denavāle droṇācāryaḥ usa śiṣyeṇa svayam ātmānaṃ bhūmaṇḍalasya sarva-śastravettṛbhyaḥ śreṣṭhaṃ manyamānaḥ babhūva |
Sañjaya dit : Ô Bhārata ! Par ce disciple, Droṇācārya—fléau des ennemis—en vint à se tenir pour supérieur à tous les maîtres d’armes de la terre entière. Cet épisode montre comment la renommée et l’estime de soi d’un maître peuvent se trouver liées à la prouesse d’un seul élève, soulevant des questions de fierté, de mérite et du poids éthique de l’excellence martiale en temps de guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Martial excellence can inflate ego: a teacher may measure his own greatness through a student’s prowess. The verse invites reflection on how reputation, pride, and the pursuit of superiority can distort ethical judgment—especially in a war setting where skill is celebrated but its consequences are grave.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, empowered in status by a particular disciple’s achievements, begins to see himself as surpassing all weapon-experts on earth. It situates Droṇa’s self-confidence within the larger Drona Parva war narrative, where teachers and students are tested in lethal combat.