Shloka 126
त॑ हतं संयुगे कश्चिदस्मै शंसतु मानव: । “मेरा विश्वास है कि अश्वत्थामाके मारे जानेपर ये युद्ध नहीं कर सकते। कोई मनुष्य उनसे जाकर कहे कि *युद्धमें अश्वत्थामा मारा गया'
taṁ hataṁ saṁyuge kaścid asmai śaṁsatu mānavaḥ |
Sanjaya berkata: “Biarlah seorang pergi melaporkan kepadanya bahawa Aśvatthāmā telah terbunuh dalam pertempuran. Aku yakin, sebaik sahaja dia mendengar Aśvatthāmā sudah mati, dia tidak akan mampu meneruskan perang ini lagi.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare can pressure people into ethically fraught tactics—here, using a report of death as a strategic tool—raising questions about dharma, truthfulness, and the moral cost of victory.
Sañjaya reports a plan to send someone to tell a key warrior that Aśvatthāmā has been killed in battle, believing that this news will break his resolve and make him unable to continue fighting.