Shloka 16
Vyāsa’s Vision, the Power of Bhāgavatam, and the Arrest of Aśvatthāmā
तदा शुचस्ते प्रमृजामि भद्रे यद्ब्रह्मबन्धो: शिर आततायिन: । गाण्डीवमुक्तैर्विशिखैरुपाहरे त्वाक्रम्य यत्स्नास्यसि दग्धपुत्रा ॥ १६ ॥
tadā śucas te pramṛjāmi bhadre yad brahma-bandhoḥ śira ātatāyinaḥ gāṇḍīva-muktair viśikhair upāhare tvākramya yat snāsyasi dagdha-putrā
ഓ ഭദ്രേ, എന്റെ ഗാണ്ഡീവ വില്ലിൽ നിന്നുള്ള അമ്പുകളാൽ ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ തലയറുത്ത് നിനക്ക് സമർപ്പിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഞാൻ നിന്റെ കണ്ണുനീർ തുടയ്ക്കുകയും നിന്നെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യും. പിന്നീട്, നിന്റെ പുത്രന്മാരുടെ മൃതദേഹങ്ങൾ ദഹിപ്പിച്ച ശേഷം, നിനക്ക് അവന്റെ തലയിൽ ചവിട്ടി നിന്ന് സ്നാനം ചെയ്യാം.
An enemy who sets fire to the house, administers poison, attacks all of a sudden with deadly weapons, plunders wealth or usurps agricultural fields, or entices one’s wife is called an aggressor. Such an aggressor, though he be a brāhmaṇa or a so-called son of a brāhmaṇa, has to be punished in all circumstances. When Arjuna promised to behead the aggressor named Aśvatthāmā, he knew well that Aśvatthāmā was the son of a brāhmaṇa, but because the so-called brāhmaṇa acted like a butcher, he was taken as such, and there was no question of sin in killing such a brāhmaṇa’s son who proved to be a villain.
FAQs
This verse shows Arjuna treating Aśvatthāmā as an ātatāyī—an atrocious aggressor—indicating that dharmic justice may require strong action to protect society and relieve the suffering caused by violent wrongdoing.
Draupadī was overwhelmed with grief after her sons were killed. Arjuna promises to bring Aśvatthāmā’s head as retribution, aiming to console her and uphold kṣatriya responsibility to punish a heinous offender.
Stand for dharma by confronting wrongdoing through lawful and ethical means, while also caring for victims—justice should aim to prevent further harm and restore moral order, not merely satisfy anger.