Shloka 5
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 49: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Strategic Foreboding after Abhimanyu’s Fall
स गदामुद्यतां दृष्टवा ज्वलन्तीमशनीमिव । अपाक्रामद् रथोपस्थाद् विक्रमांस्त्रीन् नरर्षभ:,प्रजजलित वज़्के समान उस गदाको ऊपर उठी हुई देख नरश्रेष्ठ अश्वत्थामा अपने रथकी बैठकसे तीन पग पीछे हट गया
sa gadām udyatāṃ dṛṣṭvā jvalantīm aśanīm iva | apākrāmad rathopasthād vikramāṃs trīn nararṣabhaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing that mace raised aloft, blazing like a thunderbolt, Aśvatthāmā—the bull among men—stepped back three paces from the seat of his chariot.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined realism in battle: true valor is not blind recklessness. Even an elite warrior recognizes imminent danger and adjusts position, showing that prudence and self-preservation can coexist with martial duty.
Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāmā seeing an opponent’s mace lifted to strike, shining like a thunderbolt. In response, he withdraws three steps from the chariot-seat, creating distance to avoid the immediate blow.