Shloka 21
Sauptika-parva Adhyāya 13 — Bhīmasena’s Pursuit of Drauṇi and the Release of a Divine Astra
इत्युक्त्वा राजशार्टूल द्रोणपुत्र: प्रतापवान्
ity uktvā rājaśārṭūla droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setelah berkata demikian, putera Droṇa yang perkasa—gagah lagi berwibawa—pun melangkah seterusnya, menyapa raja sebagai “harimau di antara para pemerintah”. Baris ini menandai peralihan naratif: sesudah menyatakan niatnya, Aśvatthāmā beralih daripada kata-kata kepada tindakan, membayangkan akibat etika yang berat dalam episod Sauptika.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse itself is a connective narrator’s line, but in context it underscores a moral hinge: once a warrior resolves upon a course driven by wrath and vengeance, speech turns into irreversible action—often leading to adharma and suffering.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that after speaking, the powerful son of Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā) proceeds onward; the honorific address ‘rājaśārṭūla’ signals a formal epic style and transitions into the next action in the Sauptika episode.