Shloka 184

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामा सुसंक्रुद्ध: संधायोग्रमजिह्मृगम्‌ । मुमोचाकर्णपूर्णेन धनुषा शरमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā susaṃkruddhaḥ saṃdhāyogram ajihmṛgam | mumocākārṇapūrṇena dhanuṣā śaram uttamam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Ashvatthāmā, inflamed with fierce anger, set an unerring, formidable arrow and, drawing his bow to the ear in full measure, released that excellent shaft.

Word by Word

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthaman

सुसंक्रुद्धःhighly enraged

संधायhaving fixed/placed (having fitted/strung)

उग्रम्fierce

अजिह्मृगम्the straight-going (unerring) arrow

मुमोचreleased/let go

कर्णपूर्णेनwith (a bow) drawn up to the ear (full-draw)

धनुषाwith a bow

शरम्arrow

उत्तमम्excellent, best

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Aśvatthāmā

Sañjaya

dhanuḥ (bow)

śara (arrow)

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 how anger (krodha) can intensify violence even when paired with great skill; in dharmic reflection, mastery in action is ethically dangerous when driven by wrath rather than restraint and right purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Ashvatthāmā, furious in battle, carefully aiming an unerring, powerful arrow and releasing it from a fully drawn bow—signaling an imminent, decisive strike.