Shloka 6

Droṇotpattiḥ and Dhanurveda-Prāpti

Origin of Droṇa and Acquisition of Martial Science

Devanagari script

इमां च तावद्‌ धर्मात्मन्‌ पौराणीं शूणु मे कथाम्‌ । परिश्रुतां विशालाक्ष कीर्तयिष्यामि यामहम्‌,“धर्मात्मन्‌! पहले आप मेरे मुँहसे यह पौराणिक कथा सुन लीजिये। विशालाक्ष! यह जो कथा मैं कहने जा रही हूँ, सर्वत्र विख्यात है

Transliteration

imāṃ ca tāvad dharmātman paurāṇīṃ śṛṇu me kathām | pariśrutāṃ viśālākṣa kīrtayiṣyāmi yām aham ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—ఓ ధర్మాత్మా! ముందుగా నా నోట ఈ పౌరాణిక కథను విను. ఓ విశాలాక్షా! నేను సంపూర్ణంగా విన్న, సర్వత్ర ప్రసిద్ధమైన ఆ కథను నేను వివరిస్తాను.

Word by Word

इमाम्this

चand

तावत्for now / first

धर्मात्मन्O righteous-souled one

पौराणीम्ancient / puranic

शृणुhear

मेof me / my

कथाम्story

परिश्रुताम्well-heard / widely heard

विशालाक्षO wide-eyed one

कीर्तयिष्यामिI shall recount / proclaim

याम्which

अहम्I

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana (वैशम्पायन)

Unnamed listener addressed as dharmātman (धर्मात्मन्)

Unnamed listener addressed as viśālākṣa (विशालाक्ष)

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 foregrounds dharma-oriented listening and the authority of received tradition: a narrator should transmit what is well-attested and widely known, and a listener should approach such instruction with attentiveness and ethical seriousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana signals a transition into an ancient, widely renowned tale. He addresses his listener respectfully (as ‘righteous-souled’ and ‘wide-eyed’) and promises to recount a story he has heard in full, establishing credibility and setting the stage for the next episode.