Shloka 52
इत्येतद् वचन श्रुत्वा भारद्वाजस्य सारथि: । प्रत्युवाच ततो द्रोणं सर्वशस्त्रभूतां वरम्
ity etad vacanaṃ śrutvā bhāradvājasya sārathiḥ | pratyuvāca tato droṇaṃ sarvaśastrabhūtāṃ varam ||
हे वचन ऐकून भारद्वाजपुत्र द्रोणांच्या सारथ्याने, सर्व शस्त्रधारकांत श्रेष्ठ अशा द्रोणांना तेव्हा प्रत्युत्तर दिले.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the intensity of war, speech and response are framed by dharma: counsel must be heard, and replies should reflect responsibility toward one’s role—here, the charioteer addressing a supreme warrior—highlighting how ethical deliberation persists amid violence.
Sañjaya narrates that after hearing a prior statement, Droṇa’s charioteer responds directly to Droṇa, who is praised as the foremost among weapon-masters. The verse functions as a transition into the charioteer’s reply and the next turn of the dialogue.