Shloka 6
व्यथिता: सर्वराजानस्त्रस्ताश्चासन् विशाम्पते । तद् दृष्टवा घोररूपं वै द्रौणेरस्त्रं भयावहम्,महाराज! अश्वत्थामाके उस घोर एवं भयंकर अस्त्रको देखकर समस्त भूपाल व्यथित एवं भयभीत हो गये
sañjaya uvāca |
vyathitāḥ sarvarājānas trastāś cāsan viśāmpate |
tad dṛṣṭvā ghorarūpaṃ vai drauṇer astraṃ bhayāvaham, mahārāja |
Sañjaya dit : «Ô seigneur du peuple ! En voyant l’aspect effroyable de l’arme redoutable d’Aśvatthāmā, fils de Droṇa, tous les rois furent bouleversés et tombèrent dans la terreur, sentant la puissance de ruine qu’elle portait sur le champ de bataille.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the deployment or even the sight of extraordinarily destructive weapons destabilizes moral and social order: fear spreads across ranks, and the battlefield becomes governed by panic rather than discernment. It implicitly warns that power without restraint magnifies suffering and undermines dharma.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the kings on the field, upon seeing the terrifying weapon released by Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son), became distressed and frightened, recognizing its dreadful, fear-inducing nature.