Shloka 71

Devanagari script

आचार्यो वृष्णिवीराणां कौरवाणां च यो द्विज: । सर्वक्षत्रस्य चाचार्य: सर्वशस्त्रभूृतां वर: । तेन द्रोणेन ते तात कथमासीत्‌ समागम:

Transliteration

ācāryo vṛṣṇivīrāṇāṃ kauravāṇāṃ ca yo dvijaḥ | sarvakṣatrasya cācāryaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | tena droṇena te tāta katham āsīt samāgamaḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Тот брахман Дрона — наставник героев Вришни и кауравов, учитель всех кшатрийских родов и первый среди всех, кто носит оружие, — скажи, милое дитя, как произошло ваше свидание с ним?»

Word by Word

आचार्यःteacher, preceptor

वृष्णिवीराणाम्of the Vrishni heroes

कौरवाणाम्of the Kauravas

चand

यःwho

द्विजःBrahmin; twice-born

सर्वक्षत्रस्यof all the Kshatriya class

चand

आचार्यःteacher

सर्वशस्त्रभृताम्of all weapon-bearers

वरःbest, foremost

तेनby him/with him

द्रोणेनby/with Drona

तेof you/your

तातdear one; son (address)

कथम्how?

आसीत्was

समागमःmeeting, encounter

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Droṇa

Vṛṣṇi warriors

Kauravas

Kṣatriyas (royal warrior class)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical weight of the guru’s role in kṣatriya society: a single preceptor can shape the conduct and capabilities of many royal lineages. By highlighting Droṇa as ‘foremost among weapon-bearers’ and teacher to multiple clans, it frames martial skill as something transmitted through disciplined instruction, carrying responsibility beyond any one faction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana pauses to identify Droṇa with honorific epithets and then asks how the addressed person’s encounter/meeting with Droṇa occurred. The question functions as a narrative bridge, inviting an account of the circumstances that led to contact with this renowned teacher.