Shloka 49
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
विवर्धयिषवो द्रौणेमहिमानं महात्मन: । जिज्ञासमानास्तत्तेज: सौप्तिकं च दिदृक्षव:
sañjaya uvāca |
vivardhayiṣavo drauṇe-mahimānaṃ mahātmanaḥ |
jijñāsamānās tat-tejaḥ sauptikaṃ ca didṛkṣavaḥ ||
वे महात्मा द्रोणपुत्र की महिमा बढ़ाना चाहते थे; उसके तेज का परिमाण जानने को उत्सुक थे और सोते समय होने वाले उस सौप्तिक संहार को भी देखने की इच्छा रखते थे।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that acts of violence—especially those exploiting helplessness (sleep)—are not merely tactical but ethically charged; the desire to exalt martial ‘glory’ can invite and normalize darker forces, intensifying the moral culpability of the deed.
Sañjaya describes fearsome beings converging around Aśvatthāman: they want to enhance his renown, gauge his power, and witness the impending slaughter that will occur while the victims are asleep—setting the ominous tone for the Sauptika episode.