Shloka 29

Adhyāya 6: Śibira-dvāra-sthita Bhūta-varṇana and Aśvatthāmā’s Śaraṇāgati to Mahādeva

Devanagari script

न हि द्रोणसुत: संख्ये निवर्तेत कथंचन । इदं च सुमहद्‌ भूतं दैवदण्डमिवोद्यतम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | na hi droṇasutaḥ saṅkhye nivarteta kathaṃcana | idaṃ ca sumahad bhūtaṃ daivadaṇḍam ivodyatam ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : « En vérité, le fils de Droṇa ne se déroberait au combat en aucune circonstance. Et voici que cette immense présence funeste se dresse comme un bâton de châtiment divin, prête à m’entraver au point même de ma vie. »

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sañjaya said', 'na hi': 'indeed not

• certainly not', 'droṇasutaḥ': 'the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā)', 'saṅkhye': 'in battle

• in combat', 'nivarteta': 'would turn back

• would retreat', 'kathaṃcana': 'in any way

• by any means', 'idaṃ': 'this', 'ca': 'and', 'sumahat': 'very great

• immense', 'bhūtam': 'a being

• a formidable presence', 'daivadaṇḍaḥ': 'divine rod/punishment

• chastising force of fate', 'iva': 'like

• as if', 'udyatam': 'raised

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Droṇasuta (Aśvatthāmā)
• daivadaṇḍa (divine rod/punishment)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the inexorable momentum of violent resolve in war (Aśvatthāmā’s refusal to retreat) and frames the unfolding events as carrying the weight of fate or retributive consequence—“like a divine rod”—suggesting that grievous actions invite overpowering, unavoidable repercussions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, Droṇa’s son, will not withdraw from the battlefield. Simultaneously, an immense, threatening presence is perceived as rising like a divine instrument of punishment, implying a formidable obstacle or ominous force confronting the speaker amid the night’s violent aftermath.