तस्य जिह्मम् अभिप्रायं ज्ञात्वा द्रोणो ऽर्थतत्त्ववित् ॥
तं वरं सान्तरं तस्मै ददौ संचिन्त्य बुद्धिमान् ॥
द्रोण उवाच
न चेद् युधिष्ठिरं वीर पालयेद् अर्जुनो युधि ॥
मन्यस्व पाण्डवं ज्येष्ठम् आनीतं वशम् आत्मनः ॥
न हि पार्थो रणे शक्यः सेन्द्रैर् देवासुरैर् अपि ॥
प्रत्युद्यातुम् अतस् तात नैतद् आमर्षयाम्य् अहम् ॥
असंशयं स शिष्यो मे मत्पूर्वश् चास्त्रकर्मणि ॥
तरुणः कीर्तियुक्तश् च एकायनगतश् च सः ॥
अस्त्राणीन्द्राच् च रुद्राच् च भूयांसि समवाप्तवान् ॥
अमर्षितश् च ते राजंस् तेन नामर्षयाम्य् अहम् ॥
tasya jihmam abhiprāyaṃ jñātvā droṇo 'rthatattvavit ||
taṃ varaṃ sāntaraṃ tasmai dadau saṃcintya buddhimān ||
droṇa uvāca
na ced yudhiṣṭhiraṃ vīra pālayed arjuno yudhi ||
manyasva pāṇḍavaṃ jyeṣṭham ānītaṃ vaśam ātmanaḥ ||
na hi pārtho raṇe śakyaḥ sendrair devāsurair api ||
pratyudyātum atas tāta naitad āmarṣayāmy aham ||
asaṃśayaṃ sa śiṣyo me matpūrvaś cāstrakarmaṇi ||
taruṇaḥ kīrtiyuktaś ca ekāyanagataś ca saḥ ||
astrāṇīndrāc ca rudrāc ca bhūyāṃsi samavāptavān ||
amarṣitaś ca te rājaṃs tena nāmarṣayāmy aham ||
Having discerned his crooked intent, Drona, knower of the true state of things, prudent, after reflecting, granted him that boon with a proviso: "If Arjuna does not shield Yudhishthira in battle, O hero -- then consider the eldest Pandava already delivered into your power. For Partha [Arjuna] cannot be met in battle even by the gods with Indra and the asuras, dear one -- therefore I do not venture this. Without doubt he is my disciple, and the first trained by me in the art of weapons; he is young, endowed with fame, and relentless in battle; he has obtained many weapons from Indra and from Rudra; and he is indignant at you, O king -- therefore I do not dare against him."
2ea7dd339b97 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:03 PM UTC
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Discerning the cunning, Drona does not refuse the boon but conditions it -- wisdom that gives a promise it knows will never be fulfilled, without resorting to deceit: "if Arjuna should step aside." Thus the discerning one, unwilling to refuse the sovereign outright, sets a condition in which the truth about Arjuna's invincibility lies concealed. It is telling that the teacher honestly acknowledges his disciple's superiority -- "he has obtained weapons from Indra and Rudra": a true teacher rejoices that his disciple has surpassed him, and is not ashamed to say so. The verse teaches that the wise answer a cunning request neither with refusal nor with concession, but with a condition that reveals the truth; that an honest acknowledgment of another's superiority is a mark of greatness, not weakness; and that a promise made contingent on the impossible is a courteous way of not promising evil.