'"
SECTION CXXXI
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Desirous of giving his grandsons a superior education,
Bhishma was on the look-out for a teacher endued with energy and well-
skilled in the science of arms. Deciding, O chief of the Bharatas, that
none who was not possessed of great intelligence, none who was not
illustrious or a perfect master of the science of arms, none who was not
of godlike might, should be the instructor of the Kuru (princes), the son
of Ganga, O tiger among men, placed the Pandavas and the Kauravas under
the tuition of Bharadwaja's son, the intelligent Drona skilled in all the
Vedas. Pleased with the reception given him by the great Bhishma, that
foremost of all men skilled in arms, viz., illustrious Drona of world-wide
fame, accepted the princes as his pupils. And Drona taught them the
science of arms in all its branches. And, O monarch, both the Kauravas and
the Pandavas endued with immeasurable power, in a short time became
proficient in the use of all kinds of arms.'
"Janamejaya asked, 'O Brahmana, how was Drona born? How and whence did he
acquire his arms? How and why came he unto the Kurus? Whose son also was
endued with such energy? Again, how was his son Aswatthaman, the
foremost of all skilled in arms born? I wish to hear all this! Please
recite them in detail.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'There dwelt at the source of the Ganga, a great sage
named Bharadwaja, ceaselessly observing the most rigid vows.
Pages:
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531