Shloka 146
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
ततोअच्यैविशिखैस्तूर्ण स्वर्णपुड्खैर्महामना: । निजलेने राक्षसान द्रौणिर्दिव्यास्त्रप्रतिमन्त्रिति:,तत्पश्चात् महामनस्वी अश्वत्थामाने दिव्यास्त्रोंसे अभिमन्त्रित सुवर्णमय पंखवाले अन्य बाणोंद्वारा तत्काल ही राक्षसोंको घायल कर दिया
tato 'cyaiḥ śikhaiḥ tūrṇaṁ svarṇapuḍkhair mahāmanāḥ | nijaghāna rākṣasān drauṇir divyāstrapratimantritaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the high-souled Aśvatthāmā, son of Droṇa, swiftly struck down the rākṣasa warriors with sharp arrows fitted with golden feathers, each missile empowered by divine-weapon mantras. The passage underscores how, in the frenzy of war, sacred knowledge and consecrated weaponry are turned toward destruction—raising an ethical tension between mastery of divine lore and its use for violent ends.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: even sacred knowledge (mantras) and divine weaponry can be employed for lethal ends. It invites reflection on restraint, intention, and responsibility when possessing extraordinary power.
Sañjaya narrates that Aśvatthāmā rapidly wounds/overpowers rākṣasa fighters using sharp, golden-fletched arrows that have been empowered through divine-weapon mantras, intensifying the battle’s ferocity.