Shloka 51
अश्वत्थाम्नो महाराज स च शूर: स्थितो मम । सर्व एते महाराज देवकल्पा महारथा:
aśvatthāmno mahārāja sa ca śūraḥ sthito mama | sarva ete mahārāja devakalpā mahārathāḥ ||
Wahai Maharaja, Aśvatthāman pun seorang pahlawan dan berdiri di pihakku. Dan, wahai Raja, semua ksatria ini laksana para dewa dalam kegagahan—para mahāratha, pejuang kereta agung.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how leaders use the language of divine-like strength and elite status to legitimize their cause; ethically, it invites reflection on the difference between mere power (bala) and righteousness (dharma) when judging a war’s justification.
Duryodhana is enumerating and praising the strength of his supporters, emphasizing that Aśvatthāman is firmly aligned with him and that the assembled warriors are formidable “great chariot-fighters,” as the Kurukṣetra conflict approaches.