Shloka 47
धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः
Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue
अलभद् गौतमी पुत्रमश्वत्थामानमेव च । स जातमात्रो व्यनदद् यथैवोच्चै:श्रवा हय:,गौतमी कृपीने द्रोणसे अश्वत्थामा नामक पुत्र प्राप्त किया। उस बालकने जन्म लेते ही उच्चै:श्रवा घोड़ेके समान शब्द किया
alabhad gautamī putram aśvatthāmānam eva ca | sa jātamātro vyanadad yathaivoccaiḥśravā hayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Gautamī (Kṛpī) bore a son—Aśvatthāmā. The child, as soon as he was born, cried out with a sound like the celestial horse Uccaiḥśravā. The narration underscores the belief that extraordinary signs at birth can foreshadow a person’s future power and the weight of destiny that accompanies such a life.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a traditional epic motif: remarkable signs at birth are read as indicators of future potency and destiny. Ethically, it frames greatness as carrying consequences—power is not merely a gift but a burden that will later demand restraint and right conduct.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Gautamī (Kṛpī), wife of Droṇa, gives birth to a son named Aśvatthāmā. Immediately upon birth, the baby cries with a sound likened to the celestial horse Uccaiḥśravā, marking him as extraordinary.