Shloka 10
Janmaveśma-praveśa and Uttarā’s Śaraṇāgati
Entry into the Birth-Chamber and Uttarā’s Appeal
यदा द्रोणसुतो गर्भान् पाण्डूनां हन्ति माधव । तदा किल त्वया द्रौणि: क्रुद्धेनोक्तोडरिमर्दन,'शत्रुमर्दन माधव! जब द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा पाण्डवोंके गर्भकी भी हत्या करनेका प्रयत्न कर रहा था, उस समय तुमने कुपित होकर उससे कहा था
yadā droṇasuto garbhān pāṇḍūnāṃ hanti mādhava | tadā kila tvayā drauṇiḥ kruddhenokto darimardana ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Mādhava, when Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) sought to destroy even the unborn heirs of the Pāṇḍavas, then—so it is remembered—you, in righteous anger, addressed that son of Droṇa, O crusher of foes.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, dharma sets limits: the deliberate destruction of the unborn is portrayed as an extreme adharma. Kṛṣṇa’s anger signals moral condemnation and the duty to protect the helpless, holding perpetrators accountable.
Vaiśampāyana recalls a moment when Aśvatthāmā attempted to annihilate the Pāṇḍava line by targeting their unborn children. In response, Kṛṣṇa, described as a crusher of foes, angrily addressed and rebuked Aśvatthāmā.