प्रसंग – द्रोणाचार्य के पास जाकर दुर्योधन ने जो कुछ कहा, अब उसे बतलाते हैं-
पश्यैतां पाण्डुपुत्राणामाचार्य महतीं चमूम् ।
व्यूढां द्रुपदपुत्रेण तव शिष्येण धीमता ।। ३ ।।
हे आचार्य ! आपके बुद्धिमान् शिष्य द्रुपदपुत्र
धृष्टद्युम्न द्वारा व्यूहाकार खड़ी की हुई पाण्डु पुत्रों की
इस बड़ी भारी सेना को देखिये ।। ३ ।।
Behold, Master, the mighty army of the
sons of Pandu arrayed for battle by
your talented pupil, Dhrstadyumna, son of
Drupada.
Who is Dhrstadyumna?
Dhrstadyumna Panchal was the son of Naresh Drupada. It was born from the fiery fire yagya to destroy Dronacharya. Maharaja Drupada performed a yajna with the purpose of procuring children to avenge his insults to Dronacharya. At the time of the complete sacrifice of the yajna, a Kumar wearing a crown, kundal, armor, tron and bow appeared from the Yajnakund. It was named Dhrstadyumna.
When Duryodhana sees the Pandava army organized by Dhrstadyumna (Draupadi’s brother), his reaction reveals:
1. Shock at Competence
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He never expected his cousins’ forces to be so well-structured under a “commoner” (non-Kshatriya) leader
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Modern parallel: Established businesses shocked by startup innovation
2. Teacher’s Dilemma
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His complaint to Drona highlights hypocrisy:
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Praises Drona’s teaching (which benefited Arjuna most)
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Resents that same training being used against him
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Modern parallel: Mentors seeing protégés become competitors
3. Caste Bias Exposed
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His surprise at Dhrstadyumna’s skill shows deep-seated prejudice
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Modern parallel: Surprise when “non-traditional” candidates excel
4. Psychological Projection
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Calls the Pandavas “your brilliant student’s work” (तव शिष्येण धीमता)
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Reveals his own insecurity about intelligence/strategy
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Modern parallel: Calling others “privileged” to mask one’s shortcomings
Modern Workplace Manifestations:
✓ Senior employees threatened by junior promotions
✓ Industry veterans dismissing new methodologies
✓ Privileged individuals shocked when marginalized groups succeed
The Timeless Lesson:
True leadership requires recognizing merit beyond personal biases – a test Duryodhana failed catastrophically. Today, we face identical challenges when innovation disrupts tradition.
“The Pandavas’ victory began when Duryodhana dismissed their capabilities – a mistake repeated daily in boardrooms and beyond.”
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