Shloka 2
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
संजय कहते हैं--राजन! दुर्योधनके ऐसा कहनेपर रणदुर्मद अश्व॒त्थामाने उसी प्रकार शत्रुवधके लिये प्रयत्न आरम्भ किया, जैसे इन्द्र दैत्यवधके लिये यत्न करते हैं ।। प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुस्तव पुत्रमिदं वच: । सत्यमेतन्महाबाहो यथा वदसि कौरव,उस समय महाबाहु अअश्वत्थामाने आपके पुत्रसे यह वचन कहा--“महाबाहु कौरवनन्दन! तुम जैसा कहते हो, यही ठीक है
sañjaya uvāca—rājan! duryodhanasyaivaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā raṇadurmada āśvatthāmā tathā śatrūṇāṃ vadhāya prayatnam ārabdhavān, yathā indro daityavadhāya yatate. tataḥ sa mahābāhur aśvatthāmā tava putram idaṃ vacaḥ pratyuvāca—“satyam etan mahābāho, yathā vadasi kaurava.”
Sañjaya said: “O King! When Duryodhana spoke thus, Ashvatthama—intoxicated with the fury of battle—at once set himself to the task of slaying the foes, just as Indra strives to destroy the Daityas. Then the mighty-armed Ashvatthama replied to your son with these words: ‘Mighty-armed Kaurava, what you say is true.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial resolve can be intensified by praise and comparison to divine exploits; ethically, it shows the war-mindset where validation (“this is true”) and heroic analogies (Indra vs. Daityas) propel further violence, underscoring the momentum of adharma-driven conflict.
After Duryodhana speaks, Ashvatthama—fired up for combat—begins striving to kill the enemy, likened to Indra’s effort against the Daityas. He then answers Duryodhana, affirming that Duryodhana’s statement is correct.