Shloka 23
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
त॑ तोषयित्वा तपसा पुत्र लप्स्ये महाबलम् । यं दास्यति स मे पुत्र॑ं स वरीयान् भविष्यति
taṁ toṣayitvā tapasā putra lapsye mahābalam | yaṁ dāsyati sa me putraṁ sa varīyān bhaviṣyati |
தவத்தால் அவரை மகிழ்வித்து நான் மாபெரும் வலிமையுடைய மகனைப் பெறுவேன். அவர் எனக்குத் தரும் மகனே என் மகன்; அவன் வலமும் வீரமும் கொண்டவர்களில் சிறந்தவனாக விளங்குவான்.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Focused austerity (tapas) directed toward a worthy divine ideal is presented as a means to attain extraordinary results; the verse also reflects the ethical tension of seeking power—strength is desired, but it is framed as a boon gained through disciplined self-control rather than mere force.
The speaker reports a resolve: to satisfy the deity through austerities and thereby obtain a son of exceptional might, who will be superior among men—setting up the motif of divinely granted offspring central to the epic’s dynastic story.