Shloka 52
दृष्टवा55यातौ महावीर्यावुभौ कृष्णधनंजयौ । धृष्टद्युम्नवधे यत्नं चक्रे राजन् महाबल:,राजन! महापराक्रमी श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुन दोनोंको आते देख महाबली अअभश्वत्थामा धष्टद्युम्नके वधके लिये विशेष प्रयत्न करने लगा
sañjaya uvāca |
dṛṣṭvā yātau mahāvīryāv ubhau kṛṣṇa-dhanañjayau |
dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadhe yatnaṃ cakre rājan mahābalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing the two mighty heroes—Kṛṣṇa and Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)—approaching, the greatly powerful Aśvatthāmā, O King, intensified his efforts to slay Dhṛṣṭadyumna. The verse underscores the hardening of resolve in war: the arrival of revered champions provokes a decisive, ethically fraught escalation toward targeted killing rather than restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the pressure of war, the sight of formidable opponents can intensify one’s resolve toward a specific act of violence. Ethically, it points to the danger of vengeance-driven focus—effort (yatna) becomes directed not toward restraint or reconciliation, but toward targeted killing, raising questions about dharma under extreme conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are approaching. Seeing them, Aśvatthāmā—described as very powerful—redoubles his attempt to kill Dhṛṣṭadyumna, indicating an imminent, intensified confrontation centered on Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s death.