Shloka 68

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata

Lākṣāgṛha Planning

Devanagari script

कृत्रिमं भासमारोप्य वृक्षाग्रे शिल्पिभि: कृतम्‌ । अविज्ञातं कुमाराणां लक्ष्यभूतमुपादिशत्‌,उन्होंने कारीगरोंसे एक नकली गीध बनवाकर वृक्षके अग्रभागपर रखवा दिया। राजकुमारोंकों इसका पता नहीं था। आचार्यने उसी गीधको बींधनेयोग्य लक्ष्य बताया

Transliteration

kṛtrimaṃ bhāsam āropya vṛkṣāgre śilpibhiḥ kṛtam | avijñātaṃ kumārāṇāṃ lakṣyabhūtam upādiśat |

Translation

శిల్పులతో ఒక కృత్రిమ గద్దను తయారు చేయించి, చెట్టు అగ్రభాగంపై ఉంచించాడు. అది మాయలక్ష్యమని రాజకుమారులకు తెలియదు. ఆచార్యుడు అదే పక్షిని బాణంతో బేధించవలసిన లక్ష్యమని సూచించాడు।

Word by Word

कृत्रिमम्artificial, made-up

भासम्a vulture (bhāsa)

आरोप्यhaving placed/caused to be set (upon)

वृक्षाग्रेon the top of the tree

शिल्पिभिःby artisans/craftsmen

कृतम्made, constructed

अविज्ञातम्unknown, not recognized

कुमाराणाम्of the princes/boys

लक्ष्यभूतम्being the target, serving as the mark

उपादिशत्pointed out, indicated, instructed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kumārāḥ (princes)

śilpinaḥ (craftsmen)

kṛtrima-bhāsa (artificial vulture)

vṛkṣa (tree)

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?

Training is strengthened by focused practice under carefully designed tests: the teacher uses an artificial target so the students concentrate on precision, steadiness, and following instruction rather than being distracted by the target’s true nature.

What is happening in the narrative?

A teacher has artisans make a fake vulture and place it atop a tree; without telling the princes it is artificial, he designates it as the mark to be shot, setting up an archery exercise and a test of attention.