Shloka 7
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
अस्त्रयुद्धे ततो राजन् वर्तमाने महा भये । अपश्याम रणे द्रौणिं व्यात्तानममिवान्तकम्,राजन्! इस प्रकार महाभयंकर अस्त्र-युद्ध आरम्भ होनेपर हमलोगोंने रणक्षेत्रमें द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामाको मुँह बाये हुए यमराजके समान देखा था
astrayuddhe tato rājan vartamāne mahābhaye | apaśyāma raṇe drauṇiṃ vyāttānanam ivāntakam ||
രാജാവേ! അത്യന്തം ഭയാനകമായ ആ അസ്ത്രയുദ്ധം പുരോഗമിക്കുമ്പോൾ, ഞങ്ങൾ യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ ദ്രോണപുത്രൻ അശ്വത്ഥാമയെ വായ് പിളർത്തിയ അന്തകനായ യമനെപ്പോലെ കണ്ടു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how warfare—especially missile-combat—can assume an overwhelming, death-like inevitability, personified here in Aśvatthāmā appearing as Antaka (Yama). It implicitly warns that when fear and destructive power dominate, ethical restraint (dharma in war) is easily eclipsed, and combatants become instruments of death rather than guardians of righteousness.
As the terrifying exchange of astras begins, Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that they beheld Aśvatthāmā on the battlefield, gaping like Yama himself—signaling his fierce, lethal presence and the escalating dread of the encounter.