Shloka 353
तेन शिष्येण सर्वेभ्य: शस्त्रविद्भ्य: परंतप: । भारत! शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले द्रोणाचार्य उस शिष्यके द्वारा अपने-आपको भूमण्डलके सभी शस्त्रवेत्ताओंसे श्रेष्ठ मानने लगे
tena śiṣyeṇa sarvebhyaḥ śastravidbhyaḥ parantapaḥ | bhārata! śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-denavāle droṇācāryaḥ usa śiṣyeṇa svayam ātmānaṃ bhūmaṇḍalasya sarva-śastravettṛbhyaḥ śreṣṭhaṃ manyamānaḥ babhūva |
तेन शिष्येण सर्वेभ्यः शस्त्रविद्भ्यः परंतपः । भारत! शत्रून् संतापयन् द्रोणाचार्यः तेन शिष्येण स्वात्मानं भूमण्डले सर्वशस्त्रविदां श्रेष्ठतमं मन्यते स्म ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Martial excellence can inflate ego: a teacher may measure his own greatness through a student’s prowess. The verse invites reflection on how reputation, pride, and the pursuit of superiority can distort ethical judgment—especially in a war setting where skill is celebrated but its consequences are grave.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa, empowered in status by a particular disciple’s achievements, begins to see himself as surpassing all weapon-experts on earth. It situates Droṇa’s self-confidence within the larger Drona Parva war narrative, where teachers and students are tested in lethal combat.