Shloka 2
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
ततः शिष्यात् समानीय आचार्यो<5र्थमचोदयत् । द्रोण: सर्वानशेषेण दक्षिणार्थ महीपते,जनमेजय! तदनन्तर आचार्यने अपने शिष्योंको बुलाकर उन सबसे गुरुदक्षिणाके लिये इस प्रकार कहा--
tataḥ śiṣyān samānīya ācāryo 'rtham acodayat | droṇaḥ sarvān aśeṣeṇa dakṣiṇārtha mahīpate janamejaya |
Then the teacher summoned his disciples and urged them regarding a purpose. O king Janamejaya, Droṇa addressed all of them without exception, speaking about the guru’s fee (dakṣiṇā) that was to be rendered—thus setting in motion the ethical obligation of disciples to repay instruction through a rightful offering.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic expectation that learning entails responsibility: disciples should honor their teacher through dakṣiṇā, a rightful recompense that acknowledges the value of instruction and sustains the tradition.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Droṇa gathered all his students and began to speak to them about the guru’s fee—introducing the episode in which the disciples will be assigned a task or offering as dakṣiṇā.