Shloka 16

अश्रत्थामा यथा महां तथा श्वेतहयो मम । बहुना कि प्रलापेन यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः,“मेरे लिये जैसा अश्वत्थामा है वैसा ही श्वेत घोड़ोंवाला अर्जुन भी है। अधिक बकवाद करनेसे क्या लाभ? जहाँ धर्म है, उसी पक्षकी विजय निश्चित है!

Aśvatthāmā yathā mahān tathā śvetahayo mama | bahunā kiṃ pralāpena yato dharmas tato jayaḥ ||

Vāyu dit : «De même qu’Aśvatthāmā est un grand guerrier, de même l’est mon Śvetahaya — Arjuna aux chevaux blancs. À quoi bon tant de paroles ? Là où se tient le dharma, la victoire est certaine».

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthama
अश्वत्थामा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअश्वत्थामन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
ममof me, for me
मम:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
तथाso, likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
श्वेतहयःthe white-horsed one
श्वेतहयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootश्वेतहय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ममof me, for me
मम:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
FormGenitive, Singular
बहुनाwith much (talk)
बहुना:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootबहु
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
किम्what?
किम्:
TypePronoun
Rootकिम्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रलापेनby prattle, by idle talk
प्रलापेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रलाप
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
यतःwhere, in which side
यतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः
धर्मःdharma, righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ततःthere, thence
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
जयःvictory
जयः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

वायुदेव (Vāyu)
अश्वत्थामा (Aśvatthāmā)
श्वेतहय (Śvetahaya—Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

The verse asserts a moral axiom: victory ultimately aligns with dharma. Martial strength matters, but ethical rightness is presented as the decisive ground of lasting success.

Vāyu speaks to emphasize that Arjuna (called Śvetahaya, ‘he of the white horses’) is as formidable as Aśvatthāmā, and he dismisses further argument by grounding the outcome in the principle that the side of dharma will prevail.