Shloka 11
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
अमृष्यमाणे दुर्धर्षे कथमासीन्मनो हि व: । धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! क्रोध और अमर्षमें भरे हुए दुर्धर्ष वीर अर्जुन जब मेरे पुत्रकी सेनामें प्रविष्ट हुए, उस समय तुमलोगोंके मनकी कैसी अवस्था हुई? ।। किमकुर्वत सैन्यानि प्रविष्टे परपीडने
amṛṣyamāṇe durdharṣe katham āsīn mano hi vaḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa pṛṣṭaḥ—sañjaya! krodha-amārṣeṇa pūrṇo durdharṣa-vīraḥ arjunaḥ yadā mama putrasya senāyāṃ praviṣṭaḥ, tadā yuṣmākaṃ manasaḥ kā āsīt avasthā? kim akurvata sainyāni praviṣṭe para-pīḍane ||
サンジャヤは言った。「抗しがたいアルジュナが、侮辱に耐えかね、怒りと憤激に満ちて、敵を圧し潰さんと汝の子らの軍勢へ踏み込んだとき、汝の兵たちの心はどのようであったか。さらに、あの“敵を苦しめる者”が隊列を破って突入したとき、諸軍は何をしたのか。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral-psychological dimension of war: uncontrolled anger and indignation can become a driving force, but its immediate effect is seen in the collapse or steadiness of collective morale. It implicitly asks whether warriors can maintain composure and dharmic resolve when confronted by a formidable opponent.
Dhritarashtra, anxious about his sons’ fate, asks Sanjaya to describe the Kaurava soldiers’ mental state and actions when Arjuna—formidable and enraged—penetrated their battle formation to strike them down.