Shloka 24
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
तथा द्रौणिं रणे दृष्टवा पार्षत: परवीरहा । नातिदह्ृष्टमना भूत्वा मन्यते मृत्युमात्मन:
tathā drauṇiṃ raṇe dṛṣṭvā pārṣataḥ paravīrahā | nātidahṛṣṭamanā bhūtvā manyate mṛtyum ātmanaḥ ||
Ainsi Pārṣata, meurtrier des héros ennemis, voyant Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā) dans la mêlée, ne fut point d’une grande joie et le tint pour sa propre mort.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological burden of war: warriors come to see certain opponents as embodiments of their destined end. It reflects how cycles of hostility and past deeds (karma) can make combat feel fated, intensifying fear and resolve while underscoring the tragic reciprocity of violence.
Sañjaya describes Dṛṣṭadyumna seeing Aśvatthāmā on the battlefield and becoming inwardly uneasy, regarding him as his own death. The statement implies a mutual, ominous recognition between the two adversaries in the midst of the Kurukṣetra war.