Shloka 31
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 19 — Saṃśaptaka–Trigarta Assault and Aindra-astra Counter
तमनतकमिव क्रुद्धमन्तकस्यान्तकोपमम् । ये ये ददृशिरे तत्र विसंज्ञा: प्रायशो5भवन्
tam antakam iva kruddham antakasyāntakopamam | ye ye dadṛśire tatra visaṃjñāḥ prāyaśo 'bhavan ||
সঞ্জয় বললেন—ক্রোধে দগ্ধ অশ্বত্থামা সেখানে যেন স্বয়ং মৃত্যুরূপ, এমনকি মৃত্যুরও সংহারক বলে প্রতীয়মান হচ্ছিল। যাঁরা-যাঁরা তাকে সেই রণক্ষেত্রে দেখল, তারা প্রায় সকলেই ভয়ে সংজ্ঞাহীন হয়ে পড়ল।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how uncontrolled anger can make a warrior appear as an embodiment of death, spreading panic and moral darkness around him. It implicitly warns that wrath, when ungoverned by dharma and restraint, becomes a destructive force that overwhelms both enemies and onlookers.
Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāmā on the battlefield in a state of intense rage. His presence is so terrifying—likened to Death itself—that most who see him lose consciousness, indicating the extreme dread and chaos his fury generates.