Shloka 54
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata
Lākṣāgṛha Planning
ततो द्रोणो<5ब्रवीद् राजन्नेकलव्यमिदं वच: । यदि शिष्योडसि मे वीर वेतनं दीयतां मम
tato droṇo 'bravīd rājann ekalavyam idaṁ vacaḥ | yadi śiṣyo 'si me vīra vetanaṁ dīyatāṁ mama ||
Kemudian Droṇa berkata kepada Ekalavya, “Wahai raja, dengarlah kata-kataku: jika engkau benar-benar muridku, wahai wira, maka berikan kepadaku guru-dakṣiṇā, upah guruku.” Dalam kisah ini, tuntutan itu dibingkaikan sebagai hak yang sah bagi seorang guru, namun ia juga menguji batas keadilan dan kuasa—bagaimana kewibawaan boleh memaksa pengorbanan, dan bagaimana kesetiaan diminta membuktikan dirinya melalui persembahan yang mahal.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the traditional obligation of guru-dakṣiṇā (a teacher’s due) and probes its ethical edge: devotion and discipleship can be tested through sacrifice, but such demands also raise questions about fairness, coercion, and the responsible use of authority.
Droṇa addresses Ekalavya and, invoking the claim that Ekalavya is his disciple, asks him to pay the teacher’s fee. This sets up the well-known episode in which Ekalavya’s loyalty is measured through a severe demand.