Shloka 5

द्रोण–सात्यकि-युद्धम्

Droṇa–Sātyaki Engagement

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामा यथा तात रक्षणीयस्त्वयानघ । तथाहमपि ते रक्ष्य: सदैव द्विजसत्तम,“तात! निष्पाप द्विजश्रेष्ठ! जैसे अश्वत्थामा आपके लिये रक्षणीय हैं, उसी प्रकार मैं भी सदैव आपसे संरक्षण पानेका अधिकारी हूँ

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā yathā tāta rakṣaṇīyas tvayānagha | tathāham api te rakṣyaḥ sadaiva dvijasattama ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O dear father, O sinless one, O best of Brahmins—just as Aśvatthāmā is to be protected by you, so too am I ever worthy of your protection.”

Word by Word

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthama

यथाjust as

तातO dear father / dear sir

रक्षणीयःto be protected, worthy of protection

त्वयाby you

अनघO sinless one

तथाso, in the same way

अहम्I

अपिalso

तेof you / your

रक्ष्यःto be protected (by you)

सदैवalways indeed

द्विजसत्तमO best of the twice-born (brahmins)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāmā

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?

The verse emphasizes dharma as protective responsibility: those bound by relationship, trust, or dependence may claim guardianship as a rightful duty, especially from a morally respected elder (dvijasattama).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya speaks, voicing a plea that he too should receive the same protection granted to Aśvatthāmā, using respectful kinship and moral epithets to strengthen the request in a tense wartime setting.