Shloka 17

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

Lākṣāgṛha Planning

Devanagari script

यावत्‌ ते नोपगच्छन्ति तावदस्मै परां क्रियाम्‌ द्रोण आचष्ट पुत्राय तत्‌ कर्म जिष्णुरौहत

Transliteration

yāvat te nopagacchanti tāvad asmai parāṃ kriyām | droṇa ācakṣa putrāya tat karma jiṣṇur auhat ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：只要其他弟子尚未归来，德罗那便将更高深、更精微的用兵器之法传授给自己的儿子阿湿瓦塔摩。阿周那（吉什努）察觉了这一举动——师长通过安排使众弟子迟延，从而把优先的教诲留给阿湿瓦塔摩。此事凸显了师者应守公正之责与亲情偏私之牵引之间的伦理张力，也由此激发阿周那立志：纵使所获门径不均，亦要以卓绝之功超越众人。

Word by Word

• यावत्: as long as / until
• यावत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्
• Form: correlative adverb (yāvat–tāvat)

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: negation

• उपगच्छन्ति: approach / come near
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम्
• Form: present, parasmaipada, 3rd person, plural

• तावत्: so long / till then
• तावत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्
• Form: correlative adverb (yāvat–tāvat)

• अस्मै: to him
• अस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, dative, singular

• पराम्: supreme / excellent
• पराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• क्रियाम्: procedure / practice / method
• क्रियाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• द्रोणः: Droṇa
• द्रोणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• आचष्ट: told / explained
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: imperfect, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

• पुत्राय: to (his) son
• पुत्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• कर्म: act / deed / practice
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• जिष्णुः: Jishnu (Arjuna)
• जिष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिष्णु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• औहत्: understood / inferred
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऊह्
• Form: imperfect, parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Droṇa
• Aśvatthāmā
• Arjuna (Jiṣṇu)
• other pupils (śiṣyāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical problem of favoritism in teaching: a guru’s duty is ideally impartial, yet personal attachment can distort access to knowledge. Arjuna’s awareness of this bias becomes a moral and motivational lesson—excellence may require vigilance and determination even when conditions are unequal.

What is happening in the narrative?

While the other students are away, Droṇa uses the interval to teach his son Aśvatthāmā advanced methods of weapon-practice. Arjuna observes and understands this preferential instruction.