Shloka 8

Devanagari script

रामस्य तु सम: शस्त्रे पुरंदरसमो युधि । कार्तवीर्यसमो वीर्ये बृहस्पतिसमो मतौ,शस्त्रविद्यामें परशुरामके समान, युद्धकलामें इन्द्रके समान, बल-पराक्रममें कृतवीर्यपुत्र अर्जुनके समान, बुद्धिमें बृहस्पतिके सदृश, स्थिरता एवं धैर्यमें पर्वतके तुल्य, तेजमें अग्निके समान, गम्भीरतामें समुद्रके सदूश और क्रोधमें विषधर सर्पके समान नवयुवक अअश्वत्थामा संसारका प्रधान रथी और सुदृढ़ धनुर्धर है। उसने श्रम और थकावटको जीत लिया है। वह संग्राममें वायुके समान वेगपूर्वक विचरनेवाला तथा क्रोधमें भरे हुए यमराजके समान भयंकर है

Transliteration

rāmasya tu samaḥ śastre purandarasamo yudhi | kārtavīryasamo vīrye bṛhaspatisamo matau ||

Translation

ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର କହିଲେ—ଅଶ୍ୱତ୍ଥାମା ଶସ୍ତ୍ରବିଦ୍ୟାରେ ପରଶୁରାମ ସମ, ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ପୁରନ୍ଦର (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ସମ, ବଳ-ବୀର୍ୟରେ କାର୍ତ୍ତବୀର୍ୟ ସମ ଏବଂ ବୁଦ୍ଧିରେ ବୃହସ୍ପତି ସମ।

Word by Word

रामस्यof Rama

तुbut/indeed

समःequal (to)

शस्त्रेin weapons/weaponry

पुरंदरसमःequal to Purandara (Indra)

युधिin battle

कार्तवीर्यसमःequal to Kartavirya

वीर्येin valor/strength

बृहस्पतिसमःequal to Brihaspati

मतौin intellect/counsel

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Purandara (Indra)

Kārtavīrya (Arjuna Kārtavīrya)

Bṛhaspati

Aśvatthāmā

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 that extraordinary skill and strength are morally weighty: when a warrior’s power approaches the archetypal standards of gods and legendary heroes, the consequences of how that power is used become correspondingly grave—especially in a dharma-fractured war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is hearing about the battlefield situation and describes Aśvatthāmā’s formidable qualities through a chain of exalted comparisons (Paraśurāma, Indra, Kārtavīrya, Bṛhaspati), emphasizing why he is a decisive and fearsome figure in the Drona Parva conflict.