Droṇa teaches his disciples

 vaiśampāyana uvāca

tataḥ sampūjito droṇo bhīṣmeṇa dvipadāṁ varaḥ
viśaśrāma mahātejāḥ pūjitaḥ kuruveśmani

Vaiśampāyana said: Thereupon that best of men, that greatly effulgent Droṇa, worshipped by Bhīṣma, took up his quarters in the house of Kurus and was adored by them all.

viśrānte ̍ tha gurau tasmin pautrānādāya kauravān
śiṣyatvena dadau bhīṣmo vasūni vividhāni ca
gṛhaṁ ca suparicchannaṁ dhanadhānyasamākulam
bhāradvājāya suprītaḥ pratyapādayata prabhuḥ

When he had taken rest for a while, Bhīṣma, taking his grandsons, Kurus, gave them to him as his disciples, making him their Guru with the presents of various wealth. Bhīṣma gave to the son of Bharadvāja, Droṇa, a neath and tidy house, well filled with paddy and every kind of wealth.

satāñśiṣyān maheṣvāsaḥ pratijagrāha kauravān
pāṇḍavān dhārtarāṣṭrāṁśca droṇo muditamānasaḥ

That great bowman, Droṇa, in delightful heart, accepted Kurus, sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu, as his disciples.

pratigṛhya ca tān sarvān droṇo vacanamabravīt
rahasyekaḥ pratītātmā kṛtopasadanāṁstathā

Having accepted them all as his disciples, Droṇa called them apart and spoke to them confidentially thus:

droṇa uvāca
kāryaṁ me kāṅkṣitaṁ kiṁciddhadi samparivartate
kṛtāstraistat pradeyaṁ me tadetad vadatānaghāḥ

Droṇa said: O sinless ones! I have particular desire in my heart. Promise me truly that you will accomplish it when you will become skilled in arms.

vaiśampāyana uvāca
tacchrutvā kauraveyāste tūṣṇīmāsan viśāmpate
arjunastu tataḥ sarvaṁ pratijajñe paraṁtapa

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing these words, Kuru princes remained silent. O chastiser of foes! Arjuna, however, vowed to accomplish it.

tato ̍ rjunaṁ tadā mūrdhni samāghrāya punaḥ punaḥ
prītipūrvaṁpariṣvajya praruroda mudā tadā

Droṇa then cheerfully clasped Arjuna to his bosom and repeatedly took the scent of his head and shed tears of joy.

tato droṇaḥ pāṇḍuputrānastrāṇi vividhāni ca
grāhayāmāsa givyāni mānuṣāṇi ca vīryavān

Greatly powerful Droṇa taught Pāṇḍavas the use of various weapons, both celestial and human.

rājaputrāstathā cānye sametya bharatarṣabha
abhijagmustato droṇamastrārthe dvijasattamam

O best of Bharata race! Many other princes also flocked to that best of Brāhmaṇas, Droṇa, to learn the science of arms.

vṛṣṇayaścāndhakāścaiva nānādeśyāśca pārthivāḥ
sūtaputraśca rādheyo guruṁ droṇamiyāt tadā

Vṛṣṇis, Andhakas and princes from various countries and son of Suta and Rādhā, Karṇa, made Droṇa their Guru.

spardhamānastu pārthena sūtaputro ̍ tyamarṣaṇaḥ
duryodhanaṁ samāśritya so ̍ vamanyata pāṇḍavān

Son of Suta, Karṇa, being jealous of Arjuna, always defied him and being supported by Duryodhana, disregarded Pāṇḍavas.

abhyayāt sa tato droṇaṁ dhanurvedacikīeṣayā
śikṣābhujabalodyodyogaisteṣu sarveṣu pāṇḍavaḥ
astravidyānurāgācca viśiṣṭo ̍ bhavadarjunaḥ
tulyeṣvastraprayogeṣu lāghave sauṣṭhaveṣu ca
sarveṣāmeva śiṣyāṇāṁ babhūvābhyadhiko ̍rjunaḥ

Pāṇḍava Arjuna, from his eager desire to learn the science of arms, always remained at the side of Droṇa and he excelled in all skills, strength of arms and in perseverance, on account of his love for the science of arms.

aindrimapratimaṁ droṇa upadeśeṣvamanyata
evaṁ sarvakumārāṇāmiṣvastraṁ pratyapādayat

Though Droṇa gave equal instructions to all, yet Arjuna became the foremost of all in lightness and skill. Droṇa was convinced that none of his disciples would be able to equal Arjuna.

kamaṇḍaluṁ ca sarveṣāṁ prāyacchaccirakāraṇāt
putrāya ca dadau kumbhamavilambanakāraṇāt
yāvat te nopagacchanti tāvadasmai parāṁ kriyām
droṇa ācaṣṭa putrāya tat karma jiṣṇurauhata

Thus he gave instructions to all the princes in the science of arms. To keep them away for long, he gave them Kamaṇḍala, a vessel with narrow mouth, for fetching water, but he gave his son a Kumbha = wide mouthed vessel to tetch water, so that it may not take him long to fill it. When they were thus kept away, Droṇa instructed his son some superiour methods of f+using arms. Arjuna came to know it.

tataḥ sa vāruṇāstreṇa pūrayitvā kamaṇḍalum
samamācāryaputreṇa gurumabhyeti phālgunaḥ
ācāryaputrāt tasmāt tu viśeṣopacaye ̍ pṛthaka
na vyahīyata medhāvī pārtho ̍ pyastravidāṁ varaḥ
arjunaḥ paramaṁ yatnamātiṣṭhad gurupūjane
astre ca paramaṁ yogaṁ priyo droṇasya cābhavat

Thereupon he filled his Kamaṇḍala with Varuṇa weapon and came to his Guru at the same time with his Guru ̍ s son and thus intelligent Pārtha, that foremost of all learned in arms, became in no way inferior to the son of his Guru. Arjuna took great deal of care in worshipping Guru. He had great devotion to his study of the science of weapons, therefore, he became a great favourite of Droṇa.

taṁ dṛṣṭvā nityamudyuktamiṣvastraṁ prati phālgunam
āhūya vacanaṁ droṇo rahaḥ sūdamabhāṣata
andhhakāre ̍ rjunāyānnaṁ na deyaṁ te kadācana
na cākhyeyamidaṁ cāpi madvākyaṁ vijaye tvayā

Droṇa, seeing great devotion of Arjuna to arms, summoned the cook and told him in private: Never give rice - food, to Arjuna in the dark and never tell him also that I have asked you to do so!

tataḥ kadācid bhuñjāne pravavau vāyurarjune
tena tatra pradīpaḥ sa dīpyamāno vilopitaḥ

On a certain day, when Arjuna was taking his food, a wind arose and burning lamp went out.

bhuṅkta eva tu kaunteyo nāsyādanyatra vartate
hastastejasvinastasya anugrahaṇakāraṇāt

Arjuna continued eating in the dark, his hand, out of habit, going into his mouth.

tadabhyāsakṛtaṁ matvā rātrāvapi sa pāṇḍavaḥ
yogyāṁ cakre mahābāhurdhanuṣā pāṇḍunandanaḥ

Thinking this to be the result of the force of habit, mighty armed Arjuna practiced with his bow at night.

tasya jyātalanirghoṣaṁ droṇaḥ śusrāva bhārata
upetya cainamutthāya pariṣyedamabravīt

O descendant of Bharata race! Hearing the twang of his bow string at night, Droṇa came to him and embracing him spoke to him thus:

droṇa uvāca
prayatiṣye tathā kartuṁ yathā nānyo dhanurdharah
tvatsamo bhavitā loke satyametad bravīmi te

Droṇa said: I speak to you truly that I shall do to you that by which there will be no bowman in the world who will be equal to you.

vaiśampāyana uvāca
tato droṇo ̍ rjunaṁ bhūyo hayeṣu ca gajeṣu ca
ratheṣu bhūmāvapi ca raṇaśikṣāmaśikṣayat

Vaiśampāyana said: Thereupon Droṇa taught Arjuna the Art of fighting on horse back and on the back of elephants, on car and on the ground.

gadāyuddhe ̍ sicaryāyāṁ tomaraprāsaśaktiṣu
droṇaḥ saṁkīrṇayuddhe ca śikṣayāmāsa kauravān

Droṇa taught Arjuna how to fight with club, sword, lance, spear and dart. He taught him how to use many other weapons and how to fight with many men.

tasya tat kauśalaṁ śrutvā dhanurvedajighṛkṣavaḥ
rājāno rājaputrāśca samājagmuḥ sahasraśaḥ

Hearing of his skills, thousands of kings and princes, desirous of learning the science of arms, flockes to him.