Mahabharata 9.14.44 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 14, Shloka 44
Adhyāya 14: Śalya’s Missile-Pressure and the Pāṇḍava Convergence (शल्यस्य शरवर्षम्)
तस्मिन् विनिहते वीरे द्रोणपुत्र: प्रतापवान् । आरुरोह रथं तूर्ण तमेव रथिनां वर:,उस वीरके मारे जानेपर रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ प्रतापी द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा तुरंत ही उसी रथपर आरूढ़ हो गया
tasmin vinihate vīre droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān | ārurōha rathaṁ tūrṇaṁ tameva rathināṁ varaḥ ||
Sanjaya berkata: Apabila wira itu telah terbunuh, putera Drona yang gagah—Aśvatthāmā, terunggul antara para pahlawan kereta—segera menaiki kereta itu juga. Saat itu menegaskan bahawa dalam pusaran perang, gugurnya seorang juara serta-merta mengundang peralihan kuasa dan momentum; para pejuang segera merebut kelebihan strategi, meskipun beban moral kematian tetap menghantui medan laga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the relentless continuity of warfare: even as a hero falls, another immediately assumes position to sustain the battle effort. Ethically, it reflects the tension between strategic necessity (seizing the chariot and initiative) and the sobering reality that death becomes a pivot for further action rather than a pause for grief.
After a certain warrior is killed, Aśvatthāmā—Drona’s son, famed among chariot-fighters—quickly climbs onto that same chariot, indicating a rapid takeover of the vehicle and its tactical role in the ongoing combat.
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