Shloka 42
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
ग्रामणीक्ष महीपालानेष जित्वा महाबल: । भ्रातृभि: सहितो वीरस्त्रीन् मेधानाहरिष्यति
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
grāmaṇīkṣa mahīpālān eṣa jitvā mahābalaḥ |
bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito vīras trīn medhān āhariṣyati ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Anak lelaki yang perkasa dan terunggul ini akan menjadi pemimpin seluruh bala pahlawan. Setelah menaklukkan para raja dalam peperangan, dia akan, bersama saudara-saudaranya, melaksanakan tiga upacara korban Aśvamedha.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the ideal of kṣatriya-dharma: leadership of the warrior community, victory over rival kings, and the legitimization of sovereignty through great Vedic rites (Aśvamedha). Power is framed as something to be established publicly through both martial prowess and sacrificial responsibility.
Vaiśampāyana foretells the future greatness of a heroic boy: he will be acknowledged as a commander among kṣatriyas, defeat kings in war, and, together with his brothers, conduct three Aśvamedha sacrifices—signals of expansive royal authority and renown.