364 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 7

ling: astra—weapons; gramah—all kinds of; ca—and; bhavata—by yourself;
Siksitah—learned: yat—by whose; anugrahat—mercy of.

TRANSLATION

It was by Dronacarya’s mercy that you learned the military art of
throwing arrows and the confidential art of controlling weapons.

PURPORT

Dhanur-veda or military science was taught by Dronacarya with all its
confidential secrets of throwing and controlling by Vedic hymns. Gross
military science is dependent on material weapons, but finer than that is
the art of throwing the arrows saturated with Vedic hymns, which act
more effectively than gross material weapons like machine guns or atomic
bombs. The control is by Vedic mantras, or the transcendental science of
sound. It is said in the Ramayana that Maharaja Dagaratha, the father of
Lord Sri Rama, used to control arrows by sound only. He could pierce his
target with his arrow by hearing the sound only, without seeing the
object. So this is a finer military science than that of the gross material
military weapons used nowadays. Arjuna was taught all this, and therefore
Draupadi wished that Arjuna feel obliged to Acarya Drona for all these
benefits. And in the absence of Dronacarya, his son was the representative.
That was the opinion of the good lady Draupadi. It may be argued why
Dronacarya, a rigid brahmana, should be a teacher in military science.
But the reply is that a brahmana should become a teacher, regardless of
what his department of knowledge is. A learned brahmana should become
a teacher, a priest and a recipient of charity. A bona fide brahmana is
authorized to accept such professions.

TEXT 45

TCT AAR AT: TIM Ta |
TARATS TAR ATMS! FATA

sa esa bhagavan dronah
praja-ripena vartate

tasyatmano ’rdham patny aste
nanvagad virasuh krpi
