अस्त्राण्य् अस्त्रैर् यदा तस्य विधिवद् धन्ति पाण्डवः ॥
ततो ऽस्त्रैः परमैर् दिव्यैर् द्रोणः पार्थम् अवाकिरत् ॥
यद् यद् अस्त्रं स पार्थाय प्रयुङ्क्ते विजिगीषया ॥
तस्यास्त्रस्य विघातार्थं तत् तत् स कुरुते ऽर्जुनः ॥
स वध्यमानेष्व् अस्त्रेषु दिव्येष्व् अपि यथाविधि ॥
अर्जुनेनार्जुनं द्रोणो मनसैवाभ्यपूजयत् ॥
मेने चात्मानम् अधिकं पृथिव्याम् अपि भारत ॥
तेन शिष्येण सर्वेभ्यः शस्त्रविद्भ्यः समन्ततः ॥
astrāṇy astrair yadā tasya vidhivad dhanti pāṇḍavaḥ ||
tato 'straiḥ paramair divyair droṇaḥ pārtham avākirat ||
yad yad astraṃ sa pārthāya prayuṅkte vijigīṣayā ||
tasyāstrasya vighātārthaṃ tat tat sa kurute 'rjunaḥ ||
sa vadhyamāneṣv astreṣu divyeṣv api yathāvidhi ||
arjunenārjunaṃ droṇo manasaivābhyapūjayat ||
mene cātmānam adhikaṃ pṛthivyām api bhārata ||
tena śiṣyeṇa sarvebhyaḥ śastravidbhyaḥ samantataḥ ||
Whatever was loosed from Drona's bow, Dhananjaya struck it down. When the Pandava dutifully struck down weapon with weapon, Drona then showered Partha with the highest divine weapons. Whatever weapon he employed against Partha, longing to vanquish him, Arjuna in turn did whatever was needed to neutralize that weapon. When even his divine weapons were duly struck down -- because it was Arjuna who did it -- Drona praised him in his own heart, and deemed himself exalted above all on earth, O Bharata, on account of such a pupil.
694233bb5ec0 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
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Seeing his pupil counter every weapon of his, Drona praises him 'in his very mind' and takes pride in him: the master's defeat turns into joy for his pupil. It is telling that he considers himself exalted by having such a pupil. The verse teaches that a true teacher rejoices in his pupil's superiority without envy; and a teacher's highest reward is to see the one he raised surpass himself -- for in that lies the fruit and crown of all teaching.