Shloka 36
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
तोमरं तु ततो गृहा स्वर्णदण्डं दुरासदम् । प्रैषयत् समरे तूर्ण हार्दिक्यस्य युधिछ्िर:,तब समरांगणमें युधिष्ठिरने सुवर्णमय दण्डसे युक्त दुर्धर्ष तोमर हाथमें लेकर उसे तुरंत ही कृतवर्मापर चला दिया
tomaraṃ tu tato gṛhā svarṇadaṇḍaṃ durāsadam | praiṣayat samare tūrṇaṃ hārdikyasya yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira, taking up a formidable javelin with a golden shaft, swiftly hurled it in the battle at Hārdikya (Kṛtavarmā). Even amid the violence of war, the scene underscores the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya-duty: the king who values righteousness is compelled to act decisively in combat when the conflict demands it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain within kṣatriya-dharma: even a ruler committed to righteousness must sometimes employ force decisively in war, not from cruelty but from obligation to protect and to meet the demands of a justly undertaken battle.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira takes a formidable, gold-shafted javelin and quickly hurls it at Hārdikya—i.e., Kṛtavarmā—during the fighting.