Shloka 166
Adhyāya 6: Śibira-dvāra-sthita Bhūta-varṇana and Aśvatthāmā’s Śaraṇāgati to Mahādeva
ज्वलन्तीं प्राहिणोत् तस्मै भूतं तामपि चाग्रसत् । तदनन्तर कुपित हुए अश्वत्थामाने उसके ऊपर अपनी इन्द्रध्वजके समान प्रकाशित होनेवाली गदा चलायी; परंतु वह भूत उसे भी लील गया
sañjaya uvāca | jvalantīṁ prāhiṇot tasmai bhūtaṁ tām api cāgrasat | tad-anantaraṁ kupito ’śvatthāmā tasya upari indra-dhvaja-sama-prakāśāṁ gadāṁ prāhiṇot; parantu tat bhūtam tām api līlayā jagrāsa |
അതിനുശേഷം ക്രുദ്ധനായ അശ്വത്ഥാമാവ് ഇന്ദ്രധ്വജംപോലെ പ്രകാശിക്കുന്ന ഗദ അവന്റെ മേൽ എറിഞ്ഞു; എന്നാൽ ആ ഭൂതം അതിനെയും വിഴുങ്ങി.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the collapse of ordinary martial power when action proceeds in a morally corrupted space: weapons and strength, detached from dharma, can become ineffective, and the narrative frames the night’s violence as inviting uncanny, destructive forces beyond human control.
A supernatural being confronts the attacker; a flaming missile is hurled but is swallowed. Ashvatthama, angered, then throws a mace shining like Indra’s standard, yet the being devours that too, showing the spirit’s overpowering dominance in the scene.