Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.1058

c5.1058

The battle was about to begin. Dharmaputra went to Droṇa and bowed before him and requested to bless him so that he might win the battle against the Kauravas. Droṇa said, "It is good on your part to have come and seen me before the battle is begun. If you had not seen me I would have cursed you to lose the battle. But today I am honoured since you have come. You fight the battle. Victory is yours. But I have to stand with the Kauravas, and there is a reason for it. Man is a slave of money and money is not the slave of Man. The Kauravas have tied me with money'. Śrī Kṛṣṇa will be on the side of the righteous. Where Śrī Kṛṣṇa is, there will be victory. But so long as I fight it is difficult for you to win. So try to kill me at the beginning of the battle. You need not feel sorry for killing your teacher. Because when I shower arrows and fight vehemently I won't look to see which enemy has struck me down. Enemies could kill me only when I am lying on darbha grass leaving fighting in disappointment. I will put down my weapons in battle only when I hear words which I dislike hear." After having revealed these secrets of his own he sent Yudhiṣṭhira back. (M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 43).
9) Droṇa in the battle of Bhārata. (1) On the first day of the battle Droṇa fought in a combat with Dhṛṣṭadyumna, who was defeated. (M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 77, Stanza 69).