Shloka 11

Devanagari script

द्रौणिरप्यथ सम्प्रेक्ष्य तावृषी पुरत: स्थितौ । न शशाक पुनर्घोरमस्त्रं संहर्तुमोजसा,अश्वत्थामाने भी जब उन ऋषियोंको अपने सामने खड़ा देखा तो उस घोर अस्त्रको बलपूर्वक लौटा लेनेका प्रयत्न किया, किंतु वह उसमें सफल न हो सका

Transliteration

drauṇir apy atha samprekṣya tāv ṛṣī purataḥ sthitau | na śaśāka punar ghoraṁ astram saṁhartum ojasā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihat dua orang resi itu berdiri di hadapannya, Aśvatthāman, putera Droṇa, berusaha dengan sekuat tenaga untuk menarik balik dan memanggil semula senjata dahsyat yang telah dilepaskannya; namun dia tidak mampu menahannya kembali.

Word by Word

द्रौणिःDrauni (Ashvatthaman, son of Drona)

अपिalso, even

अथthen

सम्प्रेक्ष्यhaving seen, observing

तौthose two

ऋषीsages (two)

पुरतःin front

स्थितौstanding, stationed

नnot

शशाकwas able

पुनःagain

घोरम्terrible, dreadful

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

संहर्तुम्to withdraw, to recall, to retract

ओजसाby strength, with force

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)

two ṛṣis (sages)

ghora astra (dreadful weapon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral causality: once a catastrophic act is set in motion—especially through rage and adharma—it may not be reversible by mere physical power. True restraint requires inner discipline and respect for higher dharmic authority, symbolized by the sages.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāman (Drauṇi), after seeing two sages standing before him, tries to forcibly withdraw the terrible weapon he has deployed. Despite his effort, he cannot recall or restrain it, indicating the weapon’s uncontrollable momentum and his loss of mastery over it.