Shloka 167
वासवी-शक्तेः प्रयोगः, घटोत्कच-वधोत्तर-शोकः, व्यासोपदेशश्च
The Vāsavī Spear’s Use, Post-Ghaṭotkaca Grief, and Vyāsa’s Counsel
तत्राद्धुततमं द्रौणिर्दर्शयामास विक्रमम् । अशव्यं कर्तुमन्येन सर्वभूतेषु भारत,भारत! वहाँ द्रोणपुत्रने अत्यन्त अद्भुत पराक्रम दिखाया, जिसे कर दिखाना समस्त प्राणियोंमें दूसरेके लिये असम्भव था
tatrādbhutatamaṃ drauṇir darśayāmāsa vikramam | aśakyaṃ kartum anyena sarvabhūteṣu bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: There, Droṇa’s son displayed a most astonishing feat of valor—one that, O Bhārata, no other being among all creatures could have accomplished. The verse underscores the terrifying singularity of Aśvatthāman’s prowess in war, while implicitly raising the ethical tension between extraordinary martial power and the suffering it can unleash.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how exceptional power can appear almost superhuman, yet such prowess in war carries ethical weight: extraordinary capability does not automatically equal righteousness, and its use must be judged in light of dharma and the harm it causes.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) is exhibiting astonishing martial prowess on the battlefield—so remarkable that no other being could match it in that moment.