Shloka 29

न हि द्रोणसुत: संख्ये निवर्तेत कथंचन । इदं च सुमहद्‌ भूतं दैवदण्डमिवोद्यतम्‌,“इस समय अपने ही दुष्कर्मके कारण मुझपर यह भय आ पहुँचा है। द्रोणाचार्यका पुत्र किसी प्रकार भी युद्धसे पीछे नहीं हट सकता; परंतु क्या करूँ, यह महाभूत मेरे मार्ममें विघ्न डालनेके लिये दैवदण्डके समान उठ खड़ा हुआ है

sañjaya uvāca | na hi droṇasutaḥ saṅkhye nivarteta kathaṃcana | idaṃ ca sumahad bhūtaṃ daivadaṇḍam ivodyatam ||

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: “ແທ້ຈິງ ບຸດຂອງໂດຣນະໃນສະໜາມຮົບ ບໍ່ອາດຖອນຕົວໄດ້ເລີຍ. ແລະບັດນີ້ ພະຍັນຕະອັນໃຫຍ່ນີ້ຍືນຊູຂຶ້ນດັ່ງຄັນທອນແຫ່ງທັນທະພະເທວະ—ພ້ອມຈະຂັດຂວາງຂ້ອຍຢູ່ຈຸດສຳຄັນທີ່ສຸດ.”

{'sañjaya uvāca''Sañjaya said', 'na hi': 'indeed not
{'sañjaya uvāca':
certainly not', 'droṇasutaḥ''the son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā)', 'saṅkhye': 'in battle
certainly not', 'droṇasutaḥ':
in combat', 'nivarteta''would turn back
in combat', 'nivarteta':
would retreat', 'kathaṃcana''in any way
would retreat', 'kathaṃcana':
by any means', 'idaṃ''this', 'ca': 'and', 'sumahat': 'very great
by any means', 'idaṃ':
immense', 'bhūtam''a being
immense', 'bhūtam':
a formidable presence', 'daivadaṇḍaḥ''divine rod/punishment
a formidable presence', 'daivadaṇḍaḥ':
chastising force of fate', 'iva''like
chastising force of fate', 'iva':
as if', 'udyatam''raised
as if', 'udyatam':

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
D
Droṇasuta (Aśvatthāmā)
D
daivadaṇḍa (divine rod/punishment)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores the inexorable momentum of violent resolve in war (Aśvatthāmā’s refusal to retreat) and frames the unfolding events as carrying the weight of fate or retributive consequence—“like a divine rod”—suggesting that grievous actions invite overpowering, unavoidable repercussions.

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, Droṇa’s son, will not withdraw from the battlefield. Simultaneously, an immense, threatening presence is perceived as rising like a divine instrument of punishment, implying a formidable obstacle or ominous force confronting the speaker amid the night’s violent aftermath.