Shloka 28
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
“अतः मैं सब प्रकारसे द्रोणाचार्यकी रक्षा करना ही इस समय आवश्यक कर्तव्य मानता हूँ। वे सुरक्षित रहें तो पाण्डवों, सूंजयों और सोमकोंका भी संहार कर सकते हैं ।। सृञ्जयेष्वथ सर्वेषु निहतेषु चमूमुखे । धृष्टय्युम्नं रणे द्रौणिहनिष्पति न संशय:,'युद्धके मुहानेपर सारे सूंजयोंके मारे जानेपर अश्वत्थामा रणभूमिमें धृष्टद्युम्नको भी मार डालेगा, इसमें संशय नहीं है
ataḥ sarva-prakāreṇa droṇācārya-rakṣaṇam eva etat-kāle āvaśyakaṃ kartavyaṃ manye. te surakṣitāḥ santaḥ pāṇḍavān sṛñjayān somakāṃś ca api saṃhartum arhanti. sṛñjayeṣv atha sarveṣu nihateṣu camū-mukhe dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ raṇe drauṇir haniṣyati na saṃśayaḥ.
Therefore, I judge it to be the necessary duty at this moment to protect Droṇācārya by every means. If he remains secure, he can still bring about the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas, the Sṛñjayas, and the Somakas as well. And when all the Sṛñjayas have been slain at the very front of the army, Aśvatthāmā (the son of Droṇa) will surely kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna in battle—there is no doubt of it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames wartime conduct through the lens of kartavya (duty): protecting a key commander (Droṇa) is treated as an overriding obligation because it preserves strategic capacity. Ethically, it shows how dharma is argued in terms of role-based duty and collective survival, even when the intended outcome is large-scale destruction.
Sañjaya reports a strategic assessment: the Kaurava side must protect Droṇa now. If Droṇa remains safe, he can continue devastating the Pāṇḍava coalition (including Sṛñjayas and Somakas). The speaker further predicts that once the Sṛñjayas at the battle-front are slain, Aśvatthāmā will certainly kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna in combat.