Shloka 94
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
अभश्रृत्थामंस्त्वरायुक्तो याहि शीघ्रमरिंदम । आदी वा यदि वा पश्चात् तवेदं कर्म मारिष,शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले माननीय भाई अअश्वत्थामा! तुम शीघ्र ही जाओ। पहले करो या पीछे; यह कार्य तुम्हारे ही वशका है
aśvatthāman tvarāyukto yāhi śīghram ariṃdama | ādau vā yadi vā paścāt tavedaṃ karma māriṣa ||
Duryodhana said: “Aśvatthāman, subduer of foes—act with urgency and go at once. Whether you do it first or later, this task rests in your hands, noble one.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the wartime ethic of delegated responsibility: Duryodhana urges swift action and places the burden of execution on Aśvatthāman, implying trust in his agency while also revealing the moral pressure leaders exert in crisis.
In the midst of the Kurukṣetra conflict, Duryodhana addresses Aśvatthāman directly, ordering him to proceed immediately and indicating that the timing—now or later—is secondary to Aśvatthāman’s capacity to carry out the intended task.