Shloka 21
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
अभ्यभाषत संक्रुद्धो द्रौणि: परपुरंजय: । तिष्ठ तिष्ठाद्य ब्रह्मघ्न न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे
sañjaya uvāca | abhyabhāṣata saṅkruddho drauṇiḥ parapurañjayaḥ | tiṣṭha tiṣṭhādya brahmaghna na me jīvan vimokṣyase ||
Sañjaya dit : Hors de lui, Aśvatthāmā, fils de Droṇa—vainqueur des places fortes ennemies—l’apostropha aussitôt : « Halte ! Halte aujourd’hui, meurtrier d’un brāhmane ! Tu ne m’échapperas pas vivant. » Ce cri fait du duel non seulement une poursuite guerrière, mais une mise en accusation morale, invoquant le grave péché de brahma-hatyā pour justifier une vengeance sans merci dans la brutalité croissante de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral language (accusations like brahma-hatyā) is invoked within warfare to frame an enemy as irredeemably culpable, thereby intensifying the drive for punishment. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between kṣatriya violence and ethical accountability.
Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, arriving in fury, challenges an opponent, ordering him to stand and declaring he will not let him escape alive, while branding him a ‘brahmaghna’ to condemn him and justify the imminent attack.