आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
बृहस्पतेर्बृहत्कीरतेंदिवर्षेविद्धि भारत । अंशाद् द्रोणं समुत्पन्नं भारद्वाजमयोनिजम्,भारत! महान् कीर्तिशाली देवर्षि बृहस्पतिके अंशसे अयोनिज भरद्वाजनन्दन द्रोण उत्पन्न हुए, यह जान लो
bṛhaspater bṛhatkīrteḥ divyarṣe viddhi bhārata | aṃśād droṇaṃ samutpannaṃ bhāradvājam ayonijam ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: Wahai Bhārata, ketahuilah bahwa Droṇa—putra Bharadvāja, yang lahir tanpa rahim—muncul dari sebagian (aṁśa) sang resi ilahi Bṛhaspati yang agung dan termasyhur.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how extraordinary individuals may be presented as arising from divine or rishi-like sources, emphasizing inherited spiritual potency and the legitimacy of their later authority—especially relevant for a figure like Droṇa, who becomes a pivotal teacher in the epic.
Vaiśampāyana explains Droṇa’s origin: Droṇa, identified as Bharadvāja’s son and ‘ayonija’ (non-uterine-born), is said to have arisen from a portion of the divine seer Bṛhaspati, establishing his exceptional pedigree within the unfolding genealogical account.