Shloka 25
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata
Lākṣāgṛha Planning
तदभ्यासकृतं मत्वा रात्रावपि स पाण्डव: । योग्यां चक्रे महाबाहुर्धनुषा पाण्डुनन्दन:,उसे अभ्यासका ही चमत्कार मानकर महाबाहु पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन रातमें भी धनुर्विद्याका अभ्यास करने लगे
tadabhyāsakṛtaṃ matvā rātrāv api sa pāṇḍavaḥ | yogyāṃ cakre mahābāhur dhanuṣā pāṇḍunandanaḥ ||
Thinking that this was achieved only through constant practice, that mighty-armed son of Pāṇḍu—the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)—began to train with the bow even at night, resolving to make himself fully proficient. The verse highlights disciplined effort and self-cultivation as the ethical basis of excellence, rather than reliance on chance or mere talent.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excellence is grounded in abhyāsa—steady, repeated practice. The verse ethically frames skill as something earned through disciplined effort and vigilance, not merely inherited status or sudden inspiration.
After witnessing a display of skill and concluding it must be the result of rigorous training, Arjuna (the Pāṇḍava) intensifies his own preparation, practicing archery even at night to become fully proficient.