Shloka 75

Devanagari script

इन सब वीरोंने हाहाकार करते हुए हाथमें धनुष लेकर वीर अश्वत्थामाको चारों ओरसे घेर लिया ।। ते विंशतिपदे यत्ता गुरुपुत्रममर्षणम्‌ । पज्चभि: पज्चभिर्बाणैरभ्यघ्नन्‌ सर्वतः समम्‌,उन सावधान रथियोंने बीसवें पगपर अमर्षशील गुरुपुत्रको पा लिया और सब ओरसे पाँच-पाँच बाणोंद्वारा एक साथ ही उसपर चोट की

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | te viṁśati-pade yattā guru-putram amarṣaṇam | pañcabhiḥ pañcabhir bāṇair abhyaghnan sarvataḥ samam ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Para kesatria itu, sambil berseru gaduh dan mengangkat busur, mengepung Aśvatthāmā dari segala arah. Setelah maju hingga jarak dua puluh langkah, mereka menghantam putra Sang Guru yang garang itu serentak dari semua sisi—masing-masing melepaskan lima anak panah.

Word by Word

तेthey/those

विंशतिपदेat the twentieth step/pace

यत्ताhaving reached/attained

गुरुपुत्रम्the teacher's son (Aśvatthāman)

अमर्षणम्unforbearing/irascible

पञ्चभिःwith five

पञ्चभिःwith five (each)

बाणैःwith arrows

अभ्यघ्नन्they struck/smote

सर्वतःfrom all sides

समम्equally/at once

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāmā

Droṇa (implied by 'guru-putra')

bows

arrows

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield pragmatism: when a single warrior becomes a grave threat, coordinated action is employed to contain him. Ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya valor (single combat, honor) and the harsh necessities of war (group tactics to neutralize danger).

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of alert fighters closes in to within twenty paces of Aśvatthāmā (Droṇa’s son) and attacks him simultaneously from all directions, each warrior releasing five arrows, creating a concentrated, encircling barrage.