Shloka 27

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata

Lākṣāgṛha Planning

Devanagari script

द्रोण उदाच प्रयतिष्ये तथा कर्तु यथा नान्यो धरनुर्धर: । त्वत्समो भविता लोके सत्यमेतद्‌ ब्रवीमि ते,द्रोणने कहा--अर्जुन! मैं ऐसा करनेका प्रयत्न करूँगा, जिससे इस संसारमें दूसरा कोई धनुर्धर तुम्हारे समान न हो। मैं तुमसे यह सच्ची बात कहता हूँ

Transliteration

droṇa uvāca prayatiṣye tathā kartuṁ yathā nānyo dhanuḥdharaḥ | tvatsamo bhavitā loke satyam etad bravīmi te ||

Translation

Droṇa said: “I will strive to train you in such a way that in this world there will be no other archer equal to you. This is the truth I tell you.” In context, the teacher’s vow frames excellence as a disciplined ethical commitment—an assurance of devoted instruction and the shaping of a warrior’s capability that will later bear heavy moral consequences in the epic’s conflict.

Word by Word

• {'droṇaḥ': 'Droṇa, the martial preceptor', 'uvāca': 'said', 'prayatiṣye': 'I will endeavor

• I will make the effort', 'tathā': 'thus

• in that manner', 'kartum': 'to do

• to accomplish', 'yathā': 'so that

• in such a way that', 'na anyaḥ (nānyo)': 'no other

• none else', 'dhanuḥdharaḥ': 'bow-bearer

• archer', 'tvatsamaḥ': 'equal to you', 'bhavitā': 'will be

• will come to be', 'loke': 'in the world', 'satyam': 'truth', 'etat': 'this', 'bravīmi': 'I say

• I declare', 'te': 'to you'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Droṇa
• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A teacher’s truthful resolve and sustained effort can shape a student’s excellence; the verse highlights commitment (prayatna) and truth-speaking (satya) as ethical foundations of instruction, even when the skills taught may later influence the course of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Droṇa addresses Arjuna and promises to train him so thoroughly that no other archer in the world will be his equal, affirming this as a truthful pledge.