Shloka 143

वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च

The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel

Devanagari script

द्रौणिमूर्धन्यसंत्रस्ता राक्षसा भीमविक्रमा: । चिक्षिपु: क्रोधताम्राक्षा: शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,समरांगणमें किसीसे भी न डरनेवाले तथा क्रोधसे लाल नेत्रोंवाले भयंकर पराक्रमी सैकड़ों और हजारों राक्षस अश्वत्थामाके मस्तकपर शक्ति, शतघ्नी, परिघ, अशनि, शूल, पट्टिश, खड़ग, गदा, भिन्दिपाल, मुसल, फरसे, प्रास, कटार, तोमर, कणप, तीखे कम्पन, मोटे-मोटे पत्थर, भुशुण्डी, गदा, काले लोहेके खंभे तथा शत्रुओंको विदीर्ण करनेमें समर्थ महाघोर मुद्गरोंकी वर्षा करने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

drauṇimūrdhanyasaṃtrastā rākṣasā bhīmavikramāḥ |

cikṣipuḥ krodhatāmrākṣāḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Terrified for the sake of Droṇa’s son—his very head being their target—those rākṣasas of dreadful prowess, their eyes reddened with rage and fearless on the battlefield, hurled weapons at him in hundreds and in thousands. It is a picture of war’s moral collapse: fury replaces discernment, and violence multiplies into indiscriminate showers of arms.

Word by Word

द्रौणि-मूर्धनिon the head of Drauni (Aśvatthāman)

असंत्रस्ताःunafraid, not frightened

राक्षसाःRākṣasas (demons)

भीम-विक्रमाःof terrible prowess

चिक्षिपुःthey hurled / threw

क्रोध-ताम्र-अक्षाःhaving eyes reddened with anger

शतशःby hundreds

अथthen / and

सहस्रशःby thousands

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi)

Rākṣasas

battlefield (samara-aṅgaṇa)

weapons (śakti, śataghnī, parigha, aśani, śūla, paṭṭiśa, khaḍga, gadā, bhindipāla, musala, paraśu, prāsa, kaṭāra, tomara, stones, bhuśuṇḍī, iron pillars, mudgara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear and anger can drive even powerful warriors into uncontrolled violence. Ethically, it warns that when wrath dominates, warfare tends to become excessive and indiscriminate, eroding restraint (dharma) and multiplying harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes rākṣasa fighters, enraged and formidable, launching a massive barrage of weapons toward Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi), aiming at his head—an image of intense, escalating combat in the Drona Parva.