Shloka 4
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Lament and Kṛṣṇa’s Rudra-Cosmogony Explanation (सौप्तिक पर्व, अध्याय १७)
यस्य द्रोणो महेष्वासो न प्रादादाहवे मुखम् । निजषघ्ने रथिनां श्रेष्ठ धृष्टद्युम्न॑ कथं नु सः
yasya droṇo maheṣvāso na prādād āhave mukham | nija-ghne rathināṁ śreṣṭha dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ kathaṁ nu saḥ ||
“Dia yang bahkan Droṇa, pemanah agung, tidak berani berhadapan dengannya di medan perang—Dhṛṣṭadyumna, yang terunggul antara para rathi—bagaimana Aśvatthāmā dapat membunuhnya?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between valor in open battle and the moral stain of killing by unfair means. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma: true prowess is measured not only by victory but by the manner of fighting, especially when violence turns into vengeance-driven transgression.
Vaiśampāyana points out Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s formidable reputation—so great that even Droṇa would not face him directly—and asks how Aśvatthāman could have killed him. The question anticipates the explanation that the slaying occurred during the night raid in the Sauptika episode, where normal battlefield conventions were violated.