Shloka 26
'अश्वत्थामन्! तुम पुनः शीघ्र ही इसी शस्त्रका प्रयोग करो; क्योंकि विजयकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले ये पांचाल सैनिक पुनः युद्धके लिये आकर डट गये हैं' ।। अश्वत्थामा तथोक्तस्तु तव पुत्रेण मारिष । सुदीनमभिनि:श्वस्य राजानमिदमब्रवीत्,मान्यवर! आपके पुत्रके ऐसा कहनेपर अअश्वत्थामाने अत्यन्त दीनभावसे उच्छवास लेकर राजासे इस प्रकार कहा--
sañjaya uvāca |
"aśvatthāman! tvaṃ punaḥ śīghram eva asya śastrasya prayogaṃ kuru; yato vijayābhilāṣiṇa ete pāñcālāḥ sainikāḥ punar yuddhāya āgatya saṃnaddhāḥ" ||
aśvatthāmā tathoktas tu tava putreṇa mārisa |
sudīnam abhiniḥśvasya rājānam idam abravīt |
"mānyavara!"
“Aśvatthāman! Cepat, gunakan senjata yang sama ini lagi; sebab para prajurit Pāñcāla yang mendambakan kemenangan telah datang kembali dan berdiri teguh untuk bertempur.” Mendengar ucapan putramu itu, wahai raja yang mulia, Aśvatthāman menjadi sangat muram; ia menghela napas panjang lalu berkata kepada sang raja demikian.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how the thirst for victory drives repeated escalation in war: commanders urge immediate re-use of powerful weapons, while the warrior tasked with execution shows inner heaviness. It implicitly contrasts external martial duty and strategic urgency with the ethical and emotional burden borne by the agent who must carry out destructive acts.
Sanjaya reports that Duryodhana urges Ashvatthaman to quickly deploy the same weapon again because the Panchala forces have regrouped and returned to fight. Ashvatthaman, addressed in this way, sighs in deep dejection and begins to reply to the king (Dhritarashtra).