पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम्। व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता॥
paśyaitāṃ pāṇḍuputrāṇām ācārya mahatīṃ camūm / vyūḍhāṃ drupadaputreṇa tava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatā
Duryodhana points to the enemy army and subtly reminds his teacher of a painful irony.
Word by word (10)
- paśya
- — look! / behold!
- etām
- — this (army)
- pāṇḍu-putrāṇām
- — of the sons of Pandu
- ācārya
- — O Teacher (address to Drona)
- mahatīm
- — great / vast
- camūm
- — army / military force
- vyūḍhām
- — arrayed in formation
- drupada-putreṇa
- — by the son of Drupada (Dhrishtadyumna) · Dhrishtadyumna was Drona's student — yet was prophesied to be the one who would kill Drona. Duryodhana pointedly calls him 'your student' to unsettle Drona.
- tava śiṣyeṇa
- — by your pupil / your own student
- dhīmatā
- — wise / intelligent
Duryodhana says to Drona: 'Look, Teacher — see how massive the Pandava army is. And look who has arranged it: your own student, the son of Drupada. Your skill taught him how to do this.'
A modern analogy
A manager walks up to a senior consultant and says: 'Look at what the competitor has built — and by the way, their lead architect trained under you, didn't they?' It is a subtle dig: your teaching created the threat we now face. Duryodhana is not above psychological manipulation even of his own allies.
Take with you
- What we teach others may be used in ways we never intended — knowledge is power that passes beyond our control.
- Duryodhana uses the word 'tava śiṣyeṇa' (your student) deliberately — he wants Drona to feel implicated.
- Notice how leaders in crisis sometimes try to activate guilt or loyalty in their allies rather than inspiring them.
Verse 3 gives us our first glimpse of Duryodhana's mind in operation. He addresses Drona as 'ācārya' — the respected title for a teacher — and immediately points out that the enemy army has been arranged by Drona's own student (tava śiṣyeṇa). This is both a tactical briefing and a psychological maneuver. The Mahabharata tradition tells us that Dhrishtadyumna, son of Drupada, was born specifically with the destiny of killing Drona — a fact both parties knew. Duryodhana's reference to 'your student' therefore carries multiple barbs: your own skill enabled this army; your own student may be the one who defeats you; the past is turning against the present. The phrase 'dhīmatā' — 'the intelligent one' — is Duryodhana's acknowledgment that Dhrishtadyumna is genuinely formidable. Even in anxiety, Duryodhana is not delusional about the quality of the opposition. This is one of his characteristics: he sees clearly and still chooses wrongly.
Karma-Yoga lens
Tilak and the action school would note that Drona's situation here illustrates a central karma-yoga problem: we cannot always know or control the consequences of our right actions. Drona taught Dhrishtadyumna because teaching is his dharma — the fact that the student now fights against him is not a failure of Drona's duty, but the natural unpredictability of karma unfolding.
Modern parallels
In business, it is common for employees trained by a founder to go on and compete against their mentor's company. The mentor's response often defines their character: bitterness and blame (Duryodhana's framing), or pride and equanimity (the detachment the Gita will later prescribe). The Gita ultimately teaches that we act, we teach, we give — and we release the outcomes.
Public-domain translations (4) compare all →
Duryodhana said: Behold, O Teacher, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu, arranged in battle-order by thy talented pupil — the son of Drupada. [4]
Duryodhana said: Behold, O Teacher, this mighty army of the sons of Pandu arrayed for battle by thy own disciple, Dhrishtadyumna, son of Drupada. [6]
Prince Duryodhana: Drona! behold this mighty host arrayed by Pandu's sons — by him, thy scholar, taught — Drupada's boy, Dhrishtadyumn! [7]
Duryodhana said: Look, O Teacher, at this great army of the sons of Pandu, arranged in battle-array by thy talented pupil — the son of Drupada. [9]
This verse speaks to
Where this thread continues
Approach the teacher with prostration, inquiry, and service. The knowers of truth will instruct you in jñāna.
Your own imperfect path beats another's perfect path. Death in your own dharma is better. Another's dharma brings fear.
Your own mind is your best friend when mastered; your worst enemy when not.
In prasāda (inner clarity), all suffering falls away. The serene mind's wisdom becomes swiftly established.
Satisfied by knowledge and realisation, senses mastered, gold and mud equally seen — this is the true steadfast yogi.
With mind attached, practising yoga, taking refuge in Me — hear how you shall know Me fully, without doubt.