Shloka 446
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
नाशकद् भरतश्रेष्ठ यतमानो महारथ: । भरतश्रेष्ठ! यद्यपि धृष्टद्युम्न रथहीन हो गये थे, उनके घोड़े मारे जा चुके थे, धनुष कट गया था तथा वे बाणोंसे बारंबार घायल और अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे जर्जर हो गये थे तो भी महारथी अश्वत्थामा लाख प्रयत्न करनेपर भी उन्हें मार न सका
na aśakad bharataśreṣṭha yatamāno mahārathaḥ |
Sañjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, though the great chariot-warrior Aśvatthāmā strove with all his might, he could not slay Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Even when Dhṛṣṭadyumna had been left without a chariot, his horses were slain, his bow was cut down, and he was repeatedly wounded by arrows—his body worn and battered by weapons—still Aśvatthāmā, despite relentless effort, failed to bring about his death. The passage underscores how, in the chaos of war, valor and effort do not always yield the intended result, and how fate and the momentum of battle can frustrate even a mighty warrior’s purpose.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that sheer prowess and strenuous effort in war do not guarantee success; outcomes can be constrained by circumstance, timing, and the larger flow of destiny. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that battlefield results are not purely mechanical products of strength, but are shaped by complex moral and cosmic factors.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāmā, despite being a formidable mahāratha, cannot kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna. Dhṛṣṭadyumna is described as severely disadvantaged—without chariot, horses slain, bow cut, and repeatedly wounded—yet he survives Aśvatthāmā’s attempts.