Shloka 1

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता

Devanagari script

ऑपन--मा_ज बक। जज: षष्टयाधेकशततमो< ध्याय: अश्वत्थामाका दुर्योधनको उपालम्भपूर्ण आश्वासन देकर पांचालोंके सा करते हुए धृष्टद्युम्नके रथसहित सारथिको नष्ट उसकी सेनाको भगाकर अद्भुत पराक्रम दिखाना संजय उवाच दुर्योधनेनैवमुक्तो द्रौणिराहवर्दुर्मद: । चकारारिवधे यत्नमिन्द्रो दैत्यवथे यथा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | duryodhanenaivam ukto drauṇir āhave durmadaḥ | cakārārivadhé yatnam indro daityavadhé yathā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Thus addressed by Duryodhana, Droṇa’s son Aśvatthāmā—fierce and intoxicated with battle—set himself to the task of destroying the enemy in the fight, just as Indra once strove to slay the Daityas.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'duryodhanena': 'by Duryodhana (instrumental)', 'evam uktaḥ': 'thus spoken to / thus addressed', 'drauṇiḥ': 'the son of Droṇa

• Aśvatthāmā', 'āhave': 'in battle, in combat', 'durmadaḥ': 'arrogant, fiercely exhilarated

• intoxicated with pride/war-madness', 'cakāra': 'did, undertook', 'ari-vadhe': 'in the killing of enemies

• in enemy-slaying', 'yatnam': 'effort, endeavor', 'indraḥ': 'Indra, king of the gods', 'daitya-vadhe': 'in the slaying of the Daityas (demons)', 'yathā': 'as, just as'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)
• Droṇa
• Indra
• Daityas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how exhortation and pride can ignite extreme martial resolve. By comparing Aśvatthāmā’s effort to Indra’s demon-slaying, it elevates valor while also implying the moral risk of war-madness—strength and duty can slide into ruthless aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being addressed (and effectively urged) by Duryodhana, Aśvatthāmā enters the battle in a fierce mood and commits himself to destroying the opposing forces, likened to Indra’s legendary campaign against the Daityas.