Sanjaya begins his narrative. Duryodhana goes to Dronacarya, the son of the celebrated sage Bharadvaja, the guru of both the Pandavas and Kauravas. Dronacarya had instructed them in the art of archery, the very skill Duryodhana would use in the battle. Sanjaya highlights Duryodhana’s arrogance by saying ‘King’ Duryodhana approached the preceptor. A king speaks to his subjects but a teacher is sought by a student. When you approach a teacher it must be with humility, not arrogance. Only then is there true learning. It is this arrogance that was Duryodhana’s undoing. Had he approached Dronacarya in the right spirit he may have got valuable advice that could have prevented the death and destruction that resulted from the war.
