Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामन्‌ पुनः शीघ्रमस्त्रमेतत्‌ प्रयोजय । अवस्थिता हि पज्चाला: पुनरेते जयैषिण:

Transliteration

Aśvatthāman punaḥ śīghram astram etat prayojaya | avasthitā hi pāñcālāḥ punar ete jayaiṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

ສັນຈະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ອັສວັດຖາມັນ, ຈົ່ງໃຊ້ອາວຸດນີ້ອີກຄັ້ງໃຫ້ໄວ. ເພາະພວກປານຈາລະຍັງຢືນມັ່ນຢູ່ ແລະພວກເຂົາກໍມຸ່ງຫາໄຊຊະນະອີກຄັ້ງ.”

Word by Word

अश्वत्थामन्O Ashvatthaman

पुनःagain

शीघ्रम्quickly

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

एतत्this

प्रयोजयdeploy/use (it)

अवस्थिताstanding/arrayed

हिindeed/for

पाञ्चालाःthe Panchalas

पुनःagain

एतेthese (men)

जयैषिणःdesirous of victory

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāman

Pāñcālas

astra (weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the war-mindset of urgency and escalation: when opponents remain resolute and victory-driven, commanders press for stronger measures. Ethically, it points to how the desire for victory can push combatants toward repeated and intensified use of destructive means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an instruction directed to Aśvatthāman to quickly deploy a particular weapon again, because the Pāñcāla forces have not broken and are still firmly positioned, continuing to strive for victory.