एवम् उद्धर्षितो द्रोणः कोपितश् चात्मजेन ते ॥
समन्युर् अब्रवीद् राजन् दुर्योधनम् इदं वचः ॥
स्थविरः सन् परं शक्त्या घटे दुर्योधनाहवे ॥
अतः परं मया कार्यं क्षुद्रं विजयगृद्धिना ॥
अनस्त्रविद् अयं सर्वो हन्तव्यो ऽस्त्रविदा जनः ॥
यद् भवान् मन्यते चापि शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् ॥
तद् वै कर्तास्मि कौरव्य वचनात् तव नान्यथा ॥
निहत्य सर्वपाञ्चालान् युद्धे कृत्वा पराक्रमम् ॥
विमोक्ष्ये कवचं राजन् सत्येनायुधम् आलभे ॥
evam uddharṣito droṇaḥ kopitaś cātmajena te ||
samanyur abravīd rājan duryodhanam idaṃ vacaḥ ||
sthaviraḥ san paraṃ śaktyā ghaṭe duryodhanāhave ||
ataḥ paraṃ mayā kāryaṃ kṣudraṃ vijayagṛddhinā ||
anastravid ayaṃ sarvo hantavyo 'stravidā janaḥ ||
yad bhavān manyate cāpi śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham ||
tad vai kartāsmi kauravya vacanāt tava nānyathā ||
nihatya sarvapāñcālān yuddhe kṛtvā parākramam ||
vimokṣye kavacaṃ rājan satyenāyudham ālabhe ||
Thus roused Drona, and angered by your son, in anger spoke, O king, to Duryodhana this word: "Being old, I strive with all my strength, O Duryodhana, in battle. Beyond that, it falls to me to do a base thing -- to me, longing for victory: all these folk who do not know weapons must be slain by a knower of weapons. And whatever you may think, whether good or not good -- that I shall indeed do, O Kauravya, at your word, not otherwise. Having destroyed all the Panchalas, having shown valor in battle..."
51e67ad09d20 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
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Stung, Drona agrees to the "base" act -- the slaughter of those who do not know weapons: reproach drives a worthy man to an unworthy deed. It is telling that he himself names it kshudram, base -- and yet undertakes it, obedient to the king's word. The verse teaches that even a noble man, yielding to reproach, may overstep his measure; and obedience to an unrighteous lord drags even the wise into deeds his own conscience is ashamed of.