Shloka 22
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 132 — Duryodhana’s Instructions to Purocana at Vāraṇāvata
Lākṣāgṛha Planning
अन्धकारेअर्जुनायान्नं न देयं ते कदाचन । न चाख्येयमिदं चापि मद्वाक्यं विजये त्वया
andhakāre 'rjunāyānnaṃ na deyaṃ te kadācana | na cākhyeyam idaṃ cāpi madvākyaṃ vijaye tvayā ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Huwag na huwag kang maghahain ng pagkain kay Arjuna sa dilim. At huwag mo ring ipaalam kay Arjuna ang tagubiling ito mula sa akin.” Sa ganitong tagpo, si Droṇācārya—matapos masaksihan ang walang patid na pagsasanay ni Arjuna sa busog at palaso—ay palihim na tumawag sa kusinero at nag-utos ng isang disiplina upang subukin at patalasin ang pagbabantay at pagpipigil-sa-sarili ni Arjuna, habang itinatago ang paraan upang manatiling mabisa ang pagsasanay at nakatuon sa kahusayan, hindi sa pagmamapuri.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Excellence is cultivated through disciplined constraints and mindful practice; a teacher may impose targeted rules (here, not eating in darkness) to sharpen awareness and remove dependence on external conditions, while keeping the method undisclosed so the student’s growth remains genuine.
After noticing Arjuna’s constant weapons practice, Droṇa privately instructs the cook: never serve Arjuna food in the dark and never reveal that this is Droṇa’s directive—setting up a training condition meant to refine Arjuna’s alertness and capability.