Shloka 2
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
एष पाण्डव ते भ्राता पुत्रशोकपरायण: । जिघांसुद्रौणिमाक्रन्दे एक एवाभिधावति,'पाण्डुनन्दन! ये आपके भाई भीमसेन पुत्रशोकमें मग्न होकर युद्धमें द्रोणकुमारके वधकी इच्छासे अकेले ही उसपर धावा कर रहे हैं
eṣa pāṇḍava te bhrātā putraśokaparāyaṇaḥ | jighāṃsu drauṇim ākrande eka evābhidhāvati ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “This brother of yours, O Pāṇḍava, overwhelmed by grief for his son, is rushing alone in a fury—crying out as he goes—intent on killing Drauṇi.” The verse highlights how personal bereavement can drive even a righteous warrior into solitary, vengeance-driven action amid the moral chaos of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how intense personal grief (putraśoka) can eclipse restraint and push a warrior toward solitary, revenge-driven violence. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, such impulses are understandable yet perilous, often deepening the cycle of adharma and retaliation.
Vaiśampāyana reports that the addressed Pāṇḍava’s brother—described as consumed by grief for his son—is charging alone toward Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman), crying out and determined to kill him. It situates the action in the tense aftermath of atrocities in the Sauptika episode.