Shloka 129
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
उस समय घटोत्कचने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर विष और अग्निके समान भयंकर दस सुदृढ़ बाणोंद्वारा कृपीकुमार अश्वत्थामाकी छातीमें गहरा आघात किया ।। स तैरभ्याहतो गाढं शरैर्भीमसुतेरितै: । चचाल रथमध्यस्थो वातोद्धत इव द्रुम:,भीमपुत्र घटोत्कचके चलाये हुए उन बाणोंद्वारा गहरी चोट खाकर रथमें बैठा हुआ अश्व॒ृत्थामा वायुके झकझोरे हुए वृक्षके समान काँपने लगा
sañjaya uvāca | sa tair abhyāhato gāḍhaṃ śarair bhīmasuteritaiḥ | cacāla rathamadhyastho vātoddhata iva drumaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck hard by those dreadful arrows loosed by Bhīma’s son, Aśvatthāmā—seated in the midst of his chariot—reeled and trembled like a tree shaken by a violent wind. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, even the mightiest warriors become vulnerable to the consequences of relentless aggression and retaliation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of warfare: power and pride are fragile under the force of consequences. In the dharmic frame of the epic, combat may be a duty for warriors, yet it still exposes all sides to suffering, reversal, and the escalating cycle of retaliation.
Ghaṭotkaca, Bhīma’s son, shoots fierce arrows that strike Aśvatthāmā hard. Aśvatthāmā, seated in his chariot, reels and trembles—likened to a tree buffeted by strong wind—showing the intensity of the assault.