Shloka 8
धृतराष्ट्र रवाच आचार्य पुत्रो मानाहों बलवांश्वापि संजय । प्रीतिर्धनंजये चास्य प्रियश्षापि महात्मन:,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! आचार्यपुत्र अश्वत्थामा बलवान् और सम्मानके योग्य है। उसका अर्जुनपर प्रेम है और वह भी महात्मा अर्जुनको प्रिय है। अर्जुनका उसके प्रति ऐसा कठोर वचन पहले कभी नहीं सुना गया। फिर उस दिन कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनने अपने मित्रके प्रति वैसी कठोर बात क्यों कही?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | ācārya-putro manye ’haṁ balavān api sañjaya | prītir dhanañjaye cāsya priyaś cāpi mahātmanaḥ | arjunasya ca tasminn evaṁ kaṭhoram vacanaṁ mayā na pūrvaṁ śrutam | kasmāt tadā kuntī-kumāro ’rjuno mitre prati tathā kaṭhoram abravīt ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, I consider the preceptor’s son Aśvatthāman to be strong and worthy of honor. He bears affection for Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), and that great-souled Arjuna too holds him dear. I have never before heard Arjuna speak such harsh words to him. Why, then, did Kuntī’s son Arjuna on that day address his friend with such severity?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds vāg-dharma—ethical discipline in speech. Even among friends and respected persons, harsh words are morally weighty and demand justification. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s question highlights that severity in speech should arise only from grave cause (dharma, duty, or urgent necessity), not from mere impulse.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing that Arjuna spoke sharply to Aśvatthāman—Droṇa’s son and Arjuna’s friend—expresses surprise. He notes their mutual affection and asks Sañjaya to explain what circumstance led Arjuna to use unusually harsh language toward him on that particular day.