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 ||
అప్పుడు ద్రోణుడు అన్నాడు—“రాజా! ఏకలవ్యా, వీరా, నీవు నా శిష్యుడవైతే నాకు గురుదక్షిణ ఇవ్వు।”
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.