Shloka 159

वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च

The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel

Devanagari script

साश्वसूतध्वजं यान भस्म कृत्वा महाप्रभा । विवेश वसुधां भित्त्वा साशनिर्भुशदारुणा,वह अत्यन्त प्रकाशभान तथा परम दारुण अशनि घोड़े, सारथि और ध्वजसहित घटोत्कचके रथको भस्म करके पथ्वीको छेदकर उसके भीतर समा गयी

Transliteration

saśvasūtadhvajaṃ yānaṃ bhasma kṛtvā mahāprabhā | viveśa vasudhāṃ bhittvā sāśanir bhṛśadāruṇā ||

Translation

That exceedingly radiant and terribly fierce thunderbolt reduced Ghaṭotkaca’s chariot—together with its horses, charioteer, and banner—to ashes; then, splitting the earth, it plunged down and vanished within the ground.

Word by Word

साश्वसूतध्वजम्with horses, charioteer and banner (i.e., together with them)

यानम्vehicle; chariot

भस्मashes

कृत्वाhaving made; having reduced (to)

महाप्रभाof great radiance (she/it)

विवेशentered

वसुधाम्the earth

भित्त्वाhaving split; having pierced

साशनिःtogether with a thunderbolt; as a thunderbolt (in effect)

भृशदारुणाexceedingly dreadful

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

aśani (thunderbolt-like weapon)

vasudhā (earth)

chariot (yāna/ratha)

horses (aśva)

charioteer (sūta)

banner/standard (dhvaja)

Ghaṭotkaca (implied by context: his chariot)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the terrifying finality of violence in war: brilliance, strength, and martial display (chariot, banner, horses) can be annihilated instantly by a superior weapon. It implicitly warns against pride in power and shows how swiftly life and glory can be reduced to ashes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a thunderbolt-like missile striking and incinerating a chariot along with its horses, charioteer, and banner, after which the weapon pierces the earth and vanishes into it—depicting the aftermath of a devastating strike in the Drona Parva battle.