Shloka 17
सोऊभिमन्त्र्य शरं दीप्तं विधूममिव पावकम् | सर्वतः क्रोधमाविश्य चिक्षेप परवीरहा,फिर धूमरहित अग्निके समान एक तेजस्वी बाणको अभिमन्त्रित करके शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले आचार्यनन्दन अभश्रत्थामाने सर्वथा क्रोधावेशसे युक्त हो उसे प्रत्यक्ष और परोक्ष शत्रुओंके उद्देश्यसे चला दिया
sa ūbhimantrya śaraṁ dīptaṁ vidhūmam iva pāvakam | sarvataḥ krodham āviśya cikṣepa paravīrahā ||
Sañjaya said: Having first empowered a blazing arrow with mantras—like smokeless fire—Aśvatthāmā, the slayer of enemy heroes, seized by wrath on every side, hurled it forth, aiming to strike both seen and unseen foes. The scene underscores how consecrated power, when driven by uncontrolled anger, becomes a fearsome instrument of indiscriminate destruction in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical danger of anger (krodha) in warfare: even sacredly empowered means (mantra-consecrated weapons) become morally perilous when wielded under uncontrolled wrath, tending toward excessive or indiscriminate harm.
Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā, after ritually empowering a brilliant arrow with mantras, becomes overwhelmed by rage and hurls it, intending to destroy enemy heroes—described as targeting both visible and hidden opponents.