Shloka 49

Devanagari script

एवं स पीडितो राजलन्नश्वत्थामा महाबल: । शरजालै: परिवृत:ः कर्तव्यं नान्वपद्यत,राजन! इस प्रकार बाणोंके जालसे घिरकर पीड़ित हुए महाबली अश्वत्थामाको कोई कर्तव्य नहीं सूझता था

Transliteration

evaṁ sa pīḍito rājan aśvatthāmā mahābalaḥ | śarajālaiḥ parivṛtaḥ kartavyaṁ nānvapadyata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, thus afflicted and hemmed in by a net of arrows, the mighty Aśvatthāmā could not discern what ought to be done. In the press of battle, when one is overwhelmed by force and pain, even a powerful warrior may lose clarity about duty and right action.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

सःhe

पीडितःafflicted, tormented

राजन्O king

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthama

महाबलःvery strong, mighty

शरजालैःby nets/masses of arrows

परिवृतःsurrounded, encompassed

कर्तव्यम्what should be done; duty

नnot

अन्वपद्यतfound/obtained; could think of (lit. did not reach)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Aśvatthāmā

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even great strength does not guarantee moral clarity: when overwhelmed by suffering and hostile pressure, a person may fail to perceive kartavya (the right course of action). The verse highlights the ethical danger of confusion in crisis and the need for steadiness of judgment in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāmā, though mighty, is being tormented and encircled by a dense barrage of arrows. Trapped in this ‘net’ of missiles, he becomes uncertain and cannot decide what action to take next.