Shloka 373

Devanagari script

विस्फुरन्तं च पशुवत्‌ तथैवैनममारयत्‌ | अश्वत्थामाने झपटकर उसे पकड़ लिया और पृथ्वीपर दे मारा। वह उसके चंगुलसे छूटनेके लिये बहुतेरा हाथ-पैर मारता रहा; किंतु अश्वत्थामाने उसे भी पशुकी तरह गला घोंटकर मार डाला

Transliteration

visphurantaṃ ca paśuvat tathaivainam amārayat |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “And as he writhed and struggled like a beast, he (Aśvatthāmā) killed him all the same. Seizing him in a sudden rush, he flung him down upon the earth; though the man fought desperately to break free, Aśvatthāmā throttled him to death like an animal.” The verse underscores the brutal, dehumanizing excess that overtakes warriors in the night-raid, where restraint and dharma are eclipsed by rage and vengeance.

Word by Word

• विस्फुरन्तम्: struggling, twitching
• विस्फुरन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: विस्फुरत् (धातु: स्फुर्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पशुवत्: like an animal
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पशु + वत्

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अमारयत्: killed, caused to die
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) / मारयति (णिच्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Yes (णिच्)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how unchecked fury and vengeance in war can erase human restraint, reducing both victim and killer to a state described as ‘paśuvat’ (beast-like). It implicitly contrasts such conduct with dharmic warfare, where limits and compassion restrain violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Sauptika episode, Aśvatthāmā seizes a struggling opponent, throws him to the ground, and kills him by throttling, while Sañjaya reports the scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra as part of the night-time slaughter.