Shloka 193
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता
स्थिरीभूताश्न युद्ध्यध्वं दर्शयन्तो5स्त्रलाघवम् । तदनन्तर गौतमीनन्दन अभश्वत्थामाने केकयोंसहित पांचालोंसे कहा--“महारथियो! अब सब लोग मिलकर मेरे शरीरपर प्रहार करो और अपनी अस्त्र-संचालनकी फुर्ती दिखाते हुए सुस्थिर होकर युद्ध करो”
sañjaya uvāca | sthirībhūtāś ca yuddhyadhvaṃ darśayanto 'stralāghavam | tad-anantaraṃ gautamī-nandanaḥ aśvatthāmānaṃ kekaya-sahitaṃ pāñcālān uvāca— “mahārathiyaḥ! adya sarve militvā mama śarīre prahāraṃ kuruta, astrasañcālana-furtim darśayantaḥ su-sthirāḥ san yuddhyata” |
Sañjaya berkata: “Berdirilah teguh dan bertempurlah, perlihatkan kelincahan dalam mengolah senjata.” Lalu Aśvatthāmā, putra Gautamī, berkata kepada para Pāñcāla bersama kaum Kekaya: “Wahai para mahārathi, sekarang kalian semua bersama-sama hantam tubuhku. Tunjukkan kecekatan senjata kalian, dan bertempurlah dengan keteguhan hati.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes steadiness of mind and disciplined skill in warfare: one should act with composure (sthirībhūta), demonstrate trained competence (astralāghava), and maintain resolve even amid danger—an expression of kṣatriya-dharma as controlled courage rather than panic or cruelty.
Sanjaya reports a call to fight steadily and show weapon-skill. Then Aśvatthāmā, identified as Gautamī’s son, addresses the Pāñcālas together with the Kekayas, daring them to unite and strike his body, effectively issuing a battlefield challenge and inviting concentrated attack.