Shloka 42
Adhyāya 129 — Public Acclaim of the Pāṇḍavas and Duryodhana’s Appeal to Dhṛtarāṣṭra
कुमारान् क्रीडमानांस्तान् दृष्टवा राजातिदुर्मदान् । गुरुं शिक्षार्थमन्विष्य गौतमं तान् न्न्यवेदयत्,राजा धृतराष्ट्रने उन कुमारोंको खेल-कूदमें लगे रहनेसे अत्यन्त उद्दण्ड होते देख उन्हें शिक्षा देनेके लिये गौतम-गोत्रीय कृपाचार्यकी खोज करायी, जो सरकंडेके समूहसे उत्पन्न हुए और विविध शास्त्रोंके पारंगत विद्वान् थे। उन्हींको गुरु बनाकर कुरुकुल॒के उन सभी कुमारोंको उन्हें सौंप दिया गया; फिर वे कुरुवंशी बालक कृपाचार्यसे धनुर्वेदका अध्ययन करने लगे
kumārān krīḍamānāṁs tān dṛṣṭvā rājātidurmadān | guruṁ śikṣārtham anvīṣya gautamaṁ tān nyavedayat ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing those princes absorbed in play and growing exceedingly unruly, the king sought a teacher for their discipline and entrusted them to Gautama—Kṛpa—so that they might be trained. Thus the Kuru boys, placed under his guidance, began the study of martial and scriptural learning, especially the science of archery, so that royal power would be tempered by instruction and restraint.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal birth and power require disciplined education; without a guru and training, youthful energy turns into arrogance. The verse highlights the ethical duty of a king to ensure that princes are formed by instruction and restraint, not merely left to pleasure.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra observes the Kuru princes becoming unruly through constant play. To correct them, he seeks out Gautama—Kṛpa—and entrusts the boys to him, initiating their formal training, especially in dhanurveda (the science of archery).