Shloka 49
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
विवर्धयिषवो द्रौणेमहिमानं महात्मन: । जिज्ञासमानास्तत्तेज: सौप्तिकं च दिदृक्षव:,भूतोंके वे समूह बड़े भयंकर और तेजस्वी थे तथा सब ओर अपनी प्रभा फैला रहे थे। अश्वत्थामामें कितना तेज है, इस बातको वे जानना चाहते थे और सोते समय जो महान् संहार होनेवाला था, उसे भी देखनेकी इच्छा रखते थे। साथ ही महामनस्वी द्रोणकुमारकी महिमा बढ़ाना चाहते थे; इसीलिये महादेवजीकी स्तुति करते हुए वे चारों ओरसे वहाँ आ पहुँचे। उनके हाथोंमें अत्यन्त भयंकर परिघ, चलते लुआठे, त्रिशूल और पट्टिश शोभा पा रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
vivardhayiṣavo drauṇe-mahimānaṃ mahātmanaḥ |
jijñāsamānās tat-tejaḥ sauptikaṃ ca didṛkṣavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Wishing to magnify the glory of the high-souled son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāman), and eager both to ascertain the measure of his fiery power and to witness the slaughter that would occur while the warriors slept, those beings gathered there from all sides. The verse frames the night-raid as an event watched and abetted by fearsome forces, highlighting how the pursuit of violent prowess draws dark, approving attention and deepens the moral shadow over the act.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that acts of violence—especially those exploiting helplessness (sleep)—are not merely tactical but ethically charged; the desire to exalt martial ‘glory’ can invite and normalize darker forces, intensifying the moral culpability of the deed.
Sañjaya describes fearsome beings converging around Aśvatthāman: they want to enhance his renown, gauge his power, and witness the impending slaughter that will occur while the victims are asleep—setting the ominous tone for the Sauptika episode.