Shloka 89
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
तमयस्मयवर्माणं दौणिर्भीमात्मजात्मजम्
tam ayasmaya-varmāṇaṃ droṇir bhīmātmajātmajam
Sañjaya said: Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) struck down Bhīma’s grandson, who was clad in iron armor—an episode that underscores the ruthless escalation of night-raid warfare, where even the young and well-protected were not spared.
सयजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare, when driven by vengeance and unchecked rage, can collapse ethical boundaries—leading to the killing of even the young or protected, and thereby intensifying the moral cost of victory.
Sañjaya reports that Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā killed Bhīma’s grandson, described as wearing iron armor, indicating both the victim’s preparedness/protection and the attacker’s lethal resolve.