Shloka 12
द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata
पुत्रस्नेहाभिभूतेन मया चाप्यकृतात्मना । धर्मे स्थिता महात्मानो निकृता: पाण्डुनन्दना:,मुझ अकृतात्माने भी पुत्रस्नेहके वशीभूत होकर सदा धर्मपर स्थित रहनेवाले महात्मा पाण्डवोंको ठगा है
putrasnehābhibhūtena mayā cāpy akṛtātmanā | dharme sthitā mahātmāno nikṛtāḥ pāṇḍunandanāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Overpowered by affection for my son—and I too, lacking self-mastery—I have deceived the Pāṇḍavas, those great-souled men who ever stood firm in dharma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked attachment (putra-sneha) can overpower judgment and self-control (akṛtātman), leading to unethical acts such as deception—even against those who are steadfast in dharma. The verse highlights personal accountability for moral failure.
Sañjaya speaks in a tone of remorse, admitting that, driven by affection for his son and lacking inner restraint, he has wronged the Pāṇḍavas—portrayed here as noble men devoted to righteousness—by deceiving them.