Shloka 148
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
ते राक्षसा: सुसंक्रुद्धा द्रोणपुत्रेण ताडिता: । क्रुद्धा: सम प्राद्रवन् दौणिं जिघांसन्तो महाबला:
te rākṣasāḥ susaṁkruddhā droṇaputreṇa tāḍitāḥ | kruddhāḥ sama-prādravan dauṇiṁ jighāṁsanto mahābalāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Those rākṣasas, violently enraged after being struck by Droṇa’s son, rushed together upon Drauṇi in wrath—mighty warriors intent on killing him. The verse shows how injury in war quickly kindles retaliatory fury, driving combatants toward lethal escalation rather than restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical pattern in warfare: being harmed provokes anger, and anger fuels the intention to kill. It implicitly warns how unchecked wrath turns conflict into a cycle of retaliation, eclipsing discernment and restraint.
After being struck by Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi), the rākṣasa fighters become intensely enraged and charge at him together, aiming to slay him.