ततः शुक्लाम्बरधरः शुक्लयज्ञोपवीतवान् ॥
शुक्लकेशः सितश्मश्रुः शुक्लमाल्यानुलेपनः ॥
रङ्गमध्यं तदाचार्यः सपुत्रः प्रविवेश ह ॥
नभो जलधरैर् हीनं साङ्गारक इवांशुमान् ॥
स यथासमयं चक्रे बलिं बलवतां वरः ॥
ब्राह्मणांश् चात्र मन्त्रज्ञान् वाचयाम् आस मङ्गलम् ॥
अथ पुण्याहघोषस्य पुण्यस्य तदनन्तरम् ॥
विविशुर् विविधं गृह्य शस्त्रोपकरणं नराः ॥
tataḥ śuklāmbaradharaḥ śuklayajñopavītavān ||
śuklakeśaḥ sitaśmaśruḥ śuklamālyānulepanaḥ ||
raṅgamadhyaṃ tadācāryaḥ saputraḥ praviveśa ha ||
nabho jaladharair hīnaṃ sāṅgāraka ivāṃśumān ||
sa yathāsamayaṃ cakre baliṃ balavatāṃ varaḥ ||
brāhmaṇāṃś cātra mantrajñān vācayām āsa maṅgalam ||
atha puṇyāhaghoṣasya puṇyasya tadanantaram ||
viviśur vividhaṃ gṛhya śastropakaraṇaṃ narāḥ ||
'Then the teacher — clad in white garments, wearing the white sacred thread, with white hair, grey beard, white garlands and unguents — entered the middle of the arena with his son, like the sun with Mars in a cloudless sky. He, the best of the mighty, performed the sacrificial offering according to custom and prompted the brahmins, knowers of mantras, to pronounce a blessing; and then, following the auspicious proclamation of the "auspicious day," men entered carrying various weapon-equipment.'
b18b6e1f579e · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:53:32 PM UTC
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Here Drona appears entirely in white — an image of purity. It is telling that the teacher, opening the martial exhibition, is clothed in white and performs a rite: even the art of arms begins with blessing and purity. It is telling that martial valor within dharma is inseparable from piety: the brahmin-teacher consecrates it with sacrifice and mantra. Telling too is the comparison to the sun and Mars in a clear sky: the white elder-teacher, with his son beside him — a radiant and formidable image. Thus the scripture shows that even a contest of strength opens under the sign of purity and blessing, framing valor within dharma.