Mahabharata · 1.153.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
कथं द्रोणान् महेष्वासात् सर्वाण्य् अस्त्राण्य् अशिक्षत ॥
कथं प्रियसखायौ तौ भिन्नौ कस्य कृतेन च ॥
एवं तैश् चोदितो राजन् स विप्रः पुरुषर्षभैः ॥
कथयाम् आस तत् सर्वं द्रौपदीसंभवं तदा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kathaṃ droṇān maheṣvāsāt sarvāṇy astrāṇy aśikṣata ||
kathaṃ priyasakhāyau tau bhinnau kasya kṛtena ca ||
evaṃ taiś codito rājan sa vipraḥ puruṣarṣabhaiḥ ||
kathayām āsa tat sarvaṃ draupadīsaṃbhavaṃ tadā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कथं द्रोणात् महेष्वासात् सर्वाणि अस्त्राणि अशिक्षतkathaṃ droṇāt maheṣvāsāt sarvāṇi astrāṇi aśikṣata"How did [Dhrishtadyumna] learn all [kinds of] weapons from Drona, the great archer?
कथं प्रियसखायौ तौ भिन्नौ कस्य कृतेन चkathaṃ priyasakhāyau tau bhinnau kasya kṛtena caHow did those two dear friends [Drona and Drupada] become divided, and by whose doing?"
एवं तैः चोदितः राजन् सः विप्रः पुरुषर्षभैःevaṃ taiḥ coditaḥ rājan saḥ vipraḥ puruṣarṣabhaiḥThus urged by them, O king, that vipra, by the bulls among men,
कथयाम् आस तत् सर्वं द्रौपदीसंभवं तदाkathayām āsa tat sarvaṃ draupadīsaṃbhavaṃ tadātold then all of it — the birth of Draupadi —
द्रोणान्droṇānoriginal form "droṇān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वाण्य्sarvāṇyoriginal form "sarvāṇy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्त्राण्य्astrāṇyoriginal form "astrāṇy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तैश्taiśoriginal form "taiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चोदितोcoditooriginal form "codito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"'How did Dhrishtadyumna learn all the weapons from Drona, the great archer? How did those two dear friends part, and by whose doing?' Thus urged by the bulls among men, O king, that vipra then told the whole of it — the birth of Draupadi."
Version
8e176af61210 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the story draws together threads hitherto scattered. It is significant that the listeners are concerned not only with the wonder of the birth but also with its causes — the rift between Drona and Drupada, [which gave rise to enmity and, through it, the appearance of their children]: the pious mind seeks the connection of events, not marvels alone. Here it is seen that in the narrative everything is bound together by providence: the quarrel of two friends, the sacrifice, the birth from fire — links of a single design. Thus the scripture shows that the story of Draupadi is rooted in prior events; and in beginning to tell it, the vipra leads the Pandavas into the mystery of fates that will bring them together with Drupada's daughter.