Shloka 136
Sauptika-parva Adhyāya 13 — Bhīmasena’s Pursuit of Drauṇi and the Release of a Divine Astra
यत्र सम श्रूयते द्रौणि: पुत्रहन्ता महात्मनाम् उन सुदृढ़ धनुर्धर तेजस्वी वीरोंके देखते-देखते वे अत्यन्त वेगशाली घोड़ोंके द्वारा भागीरथीके तटपर जा पहुँचे, जहाँ उन महात्मा पाण्डवोंके पुत्रोंका वध करनेवाला अश्वत्थामा बैठा सुना गया था
yatra sam aśrūyata drauṇiḥ putrahantā mahātmanām | tatra sudṛḍhadhanurdharāḥ tejasvino vīrāḥ paśyatāṃ paśyatāṃ ativegair aśvaiḥ bhāgīrathītīraṃ jagmuḥ, yatra aśvatthāmā upaviṣṭa iti śrutaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: They heard that Drauṇi—Aśvatthāmā, the slayer of the sons of the great-souled Pāṇḍavas—was there. Before the very eyes of those radiant, mighty warriors, firm in their bowmanship, he sped away on exceedingly swift horses and reached the bank of the Bhāgīrathī, where it was reported that Aśvatthāmā had taken his seat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a grave ethical rupture in warfare: the killing of the sons of the Pāṇḍavas is marked as a shocking act that provokes immediate pursuit. It frames such violence as a transgression that cannot be treated as ordinary battle, emphasizing accountability and the moral weight of harming the defenseless.
News spreads that Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi), responsible for killing the Pāṇḍavas’ sons, is at a particular place. He flees at great speed on swift horses and reaches the bank of the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā), where he is said to be seated, as the pursuing warriors watch.