Shloka 22
Droṇa’s Resolve to Restrain Yudhiṣṭhira and Arjuna’s Protective Vow (द्रोणस्य युधिष्ठिरनिग्रह-प्रयत्नः)
असंशयं स मे शिष्यो मत्पूर्वश्चास्त्रकर्मणि | तरुण: सुकृतैर्युक्त एकायनगतश्च ह,इसमें संदेह नहीं कि अर्जुन मेरा शिष्य है और उसने पहले मुझसे ही अस्त्रविद्या सीखी है, तथापि वह तरुण है। अनेक प्रकारके पुण्य कर्मोंसे युक्त है। विजय अथवा मृत्यु--इन दोनोंमेंसे एकका वरण करनेका दृढ़ निश्चय कर चुका है। इन्द्र और रुद्र आदि देवताओंसे पुनः बहुत-से दिव्यास्त्रोंकी शिक्षा पा चुका है और तुम्हारे प्रति उसका अमर्ष बढ़ा हुआ है। इसलिये राजन! मैं अर्जुनसे लड़नेका उत्साह नहीं रखता हूँ
asaṁśayaṁ sa me śiṣyo matpūrvaś cāstrakarmaṇi | taruṇaḥ sukṛtair yukta ekāyanagataś ca ha |
Droṇa said: “Without doubt, he is my disciple, and it was from me that he first learned the practice of weapons. Yet he is young, endowed with the fruits of many meritorious deeds, and has fixed his resolve upon a single course—either victory or death. Having again received instruction in many divine missiles from gods such as Indra and Rudra, and with his resentment toward you intensified, O king, I do not feel eagerness to fight Arjuna.”
द्रोण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in warfare when personal bonds (guru–disciple) collide with duty. Droṇa acknowledges Arjuna’s legitimacy and excellence—rooted in disciplined training, merit, divine empowerment, and unwavering resolve—implying that moral and psychological factors can be as decisive as physical strength, and that fighting a beloved student is not merely a tactical choice but an ethical burden.
Droṇa addresses the king (Duryodhana in context) about Arjuna. He affirms that Arjuna learned weapon-craft first from him, but notes Arjuna’s youth, accumulated merit, single-minded determination for victory-or-death, and acquisition of divine missiles from Indra and Rudra. Because Arjuna’s anger toward the king has grown, Droṇa expresses reluctance and lack of enthusiasm to engage Arjuna in battle.