Shloka 78
अश्रत्थाम्नि च चिक्षेप भैमसेनिर्जिघांसया । वेगेन महता55गच्छद् विक्षिप्तं द्रौणिना शरै:
aśvatthāmni ca cikṣepa bhaimasenir jighāṃsayā | vegena mahatā gacchad vikṣiptaṃ drauṇinā śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Bhīmasena, intent on killing Aśvatthāmā, hurled his weapon at him. But it sped on with great force only to be deflected, for Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) struck it aside with his arrows—showing how, in the fury of war, lethal intent meets counter-violence and skill, and the battlefield becomes a contest where anger must confront disciplined defense.
सयजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how violent intent (jighāṃsā) in war immediately provokes counter-force; mere rage is insufficient without restraint and skill. Ethically, it underscores the tragic momentum of retaliation—once killing becomes the aim, the encounter turns into an escalating cycle of attack and defense.
Bhīmasena hurls a weapon at Aśvatthāman with the intention to kill him. The projectile rushes forward with great speed, but Aśvatthāman (called Drauṇi) deflects it by striking it aside with his arrows.