Shloka 29
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
तथार्जुनं च राधेयो हनिष्यति महारथ: । भीमसेनमहं चापि युद्धे जेष्यामि दीक्षित:
tathārjunaṃ ca rādheyo haniṣyati mahārathaḥ | bhīmasenam ahaṃ cāpi yuddhe jeṣyāmi dīkṣitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “In the same way, the great chariot-warrior Rādheya (Karna) will slay Arjuna; and I too, having taken a solemn vow, will defeat Bhīmasena in battle.” The statement reflects the warriors’ fierce resolve and oath-bound pride, where personal vows and rivalry intensify the moral tension of a fratricidal war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how oath-bound determination (dīkṣā/vow) and warrior pride can harden into lethal intent. It invites reflection on dharma in war: resolve and duty may be praised in a kṣatriya context, yet the same resolve can deepen ethical peril when driven by rivalry and the desire to kill.
Sañjaya reports confident battle-proclamations: Karṇa is declared capable of slaying Arjuna, and another warrior-speaker (referred to as “I”) asserts that, having taken a vow, he will defeat Bhīma in the fight. The scene underscores escalating threats and the intensifying stakes on the battlefield.