राम उवाच
हिरण्यं मम यच् चान्यद् वसु किं चन विद्यते ॥
ब्राह्मणेभ्यो मया दत्तं सर्वम् एव तपोधन ॥
तथैवेयं धरा देवी सागरान्ता सपत्तना ॥
कश्यपाय मया दत्ता कृत्स्ना नगरमालिनी ॥
शरीरमात्रम् एवाद्य मयेदम् अवशेषितम् ॥
अस्त्राणि च महार्हाणि शस्त्राणि विविधानि च ॥
वृणीष्व किं प्रयच्छामि तुभ्यं द्रोण वदाशु तत् ॥
द्रोण उवाच
अस्त्राणि मे समग्राणि ससंहाराणि भार्गव ॥
सप्रयोगरहस्यानि दातुम् अर्हस्य् अशेषतः ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
तथेत्य् उक्त्वा ततस् तस्मै प्रादाद् अस्त्राणि भार्गवः ॥
सरहस्यव्रतं चैव धनुर्वेदम् अशेषतः ॥
प्रतिगृह्य तु तत् सर्वं कृतास्त्रो द्विजसत्तमः ॥
प्रियं सखायं सुप्रीतो जगाम द्रुपदं प्रति ॥
rāma uvāca
hiraṇyaṃ mama yac cānyad vasu kiṃ cana vidyate ||
brāhmaṇebhyo mayā dattaṃ sarvam eva tapodhana ||
tathaiveyaṃ dharā devī sāgarāntā sapattanā ||
kaśyapāya mayā dattā kṛtsnā nagaramālinī ||
śarīramātram evādya mayedam avaśeṣitam ||
astrāṇi ca mahārhāṇi śastrāṇi vividhāni ca ||
vṛṇīṣva kiṃ prayacchāmi tubhyaṃ droṇa vadāśu tat ||
droṇa uvāca
astrāṇi me samagrāṇi sasaṃhārāṇi bhārgava ||
saprayogarahasyāni dātum arhasy aśeṣataḥ ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tathety uktvā tatas tasmai prādād astrāṇi bhārgavaḥ ||
sarahasyavrataṃ caiva dhanurvedam aśeṣataḥ ||
pratigṛhya tu tat sarvaṃ kṛtāstro dvijasattamaḥ ||
priyaṃ sakhāyaṃ suprīto jagāma drupadaṃ prati ||
Parashurama said: "My gold, and whatever other wealth there is, all has been given away by me to brahmins, O ascetic; likewise this goddess Earth, bounded by the ocean, with her cities, has been given wholly by me to Kashyapa, girded with cities. Only this body have I now kept for myself, and precious weapons -- the astras, and various other weapons. Choose -- what shall I give you, Drona? Say it quickly." Drona said: "Give me all the weapons in full, together with the spells of recall, O Bhargava, together with the secrets of their use -- you must give them without remainder." Vaishampayana said: "Saying 'so be it', Bhargava then gave him all the weapons, and the science of archery with its secrets and vows, without remainder; and having received all that, now master of the weapons, the best of the twice-born, set out, greatly pleased, to his dear friend -- to Drupada."
94d2b25d5813 · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:53:32 PM UTC
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Here both the supreme generosity of Parashurama and the wisdom of Drona's choice come to light. Notable is that Parashurama gave away not only gold but the whole earth (to Kashyapa): there is no generosity higher than giving away everything, keeping for oneself only body and weapons. In this is the ideal of dana carried to complete non-possession. But most notable of all is Drona's choice: having come for wealth, on learning that the gold was already given away, he asks not for what remains in coin, but for the hidden knowledge of weapons. Here is wisdom that places knowledge above gold: wealth is fleeting, while mastery of science and power is an imperishable possession. Notable too is that Drona asks for the astras "together with the spells of recall and the secrets of their use" -- that is, knowledge that is complete and responsible, for a weapon without the skill to recall it is deadly. Thus Drona, arriving destitute, departs the wealthiest -- lord of all the astras; and with this incomparable gift he goes to his friend Drupada, not knowing that an insult awaits him there, from which a great enmity will grow.