Shloka 5
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
गौतमो द्विगुणं कालमुक्तवानिति नः श्रुतम् । द्रौणिस्तु दशरात्रेण प्रतिजज्ञे महास्त्रवित्
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
gautamo dviguṇaṃ kālam uktavān iti naḥ śrutam | drauṇis tu daśarātreṇa pratijajñe mahāstravit ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “We have heard that Gautama stated a time twice as long. But Droṇi—Aśvatthāman, the great master of weapons—has vowed that within ten nights he can bring about the destruction of the Pāṇḍava host.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in the lead-up to war, competitive vows about rapid victory can normalize large-scale destruction; it implicitly invites reflection on dharma—whether prowess and speed in killing can ever outweigh moral restraint and responsibility.
Yudhiṣṭhira reports what he has heard: different warriors or authorities have declared differing timeframes for destroying the Pāṇḍava army, and Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) has made the boldest pledge—accomplishing it in ten nights.