Shloka 108
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
अभश्रृत्थामा ततो जज्ञे द्रोणादेव महाबल: । तथैव धृष्टद्युम्नोडपि साक्षादग्निसमद्युति:
aśvatthāmā tato jajñe droṇād eva mahābalaḥ | tathaiva dhṛṣṭadyumno 'pi sākṣād agnisamadyutiḥ |
Dāśa berkata: Sesudah itu lahirlah Aśvatthāmā yang perkasa daripada Droṇa. Demikian juga, ketika upacara korban suci sedang dilaksanakan, Dhṛṣṭadyumna menjelma daripada api yang menyala-nyala, bersinar laksana Agni sendiri. Pahlawan gagah itu muncul sambil menggenggam busur, ditakdirkan untuk memusnahkan Droṇācārya—suatu peristiwa yang menyingkap bagaimana kuasa ritual dan takdir peperangan saling bertaut, menimbulkan ketegangan etika tentang dendam, kewajipan, dan harga perang.
दाश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how extraordinary births and ritual forces can be tied to destiny in war, suggesting that personal prowess and divine/ritual origins do not automatically confer moral clarity; they can also serve vengeance, intensifying the ethical burden of conflict and the responsibility to act within dharma.
Daśa narrates two births: Aśvatthāmā is born to Droṇa, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna arises from sacrificial fire, radiant like Agni. Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s emergence is linked to a specific purpose—bringing about Droṇa’s destruction—setting up a major future confrontation.