Shloka 63
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
ते यज्ञसेन द्रुपदं गृहीत्वा रणमूर्थनि । उपाजहु: सहामात्यं द्रोणाय भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! उन पाण्डवने यज्ञसेन द्रुपदको मन्त्रियोंसहित संग्रामभूमिमें बंदी बनाकर द्रोणाचार्यको उपहारके रूपमें दे दिया
te yajñasena-drupadaṁ gṛhītvā raṇamūrdhani | upājahuḥ sahāmātyaṁ droṇāya bharatarṣabha ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having seized Yajñasena Drupada on the very forefront of the battlefield, the Pāṇḍavas presented him—together with his ministers—as an offering to Droṇa, O bull among the Bhāratas. The act underscores the warrior code of fulfilling one’s teacher’s command, yet it also raises an ethical tension: victory in war is used to settle personal enmity through the instrument of duty to a preceptor.
वैशमग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding force of guru-duty in the kṣatriya world: the disciples execute their teacher’s command even in war. At the same time, it invites reflection on ethical complexity—how personal vendetta can be pursued under the cover of rightful obligation and martial success.
In the campaign undertaken for Droṇa, the Pāṇḍavas capture King Drupada (also called Yajñasena) along with his ministers on the battlefield and deliver him to Droṇa as a tribute/gift, fulfilling Droṇa’s objective against his former friend and rival.