Shloka 108

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

अभश्रृत्थामा ततो जज्ञे द्रोणादेव महाबल: । तथैव धृष्टद्युम्नोडपि साक्षादग्निसमद्युति:

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā tato jajñe droṇād eva mahābalaḥ | tathaiva dhṛṣṭadyumno 'pi sākṣād agnisamadyutiḥ |

Translation

ఆ తరువాత ద్రోణుని నుండే మహాబలుడు అశ్వత్థాముడు జన్మించాడు. అలాగే యజ్ఞకర్మ జరుగుతున్న వేళ ప్రజ్వలిత అగ్నిలోనుండి ధృష్టద్యుమ్నుడు ప్రత్యక్షమయ్యాడు; అతడు సాక్షాత్తు అగ్నిదేవుని సమాన తేజస్సుతో ప్రకాశించాడు.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थामा: Ashvatthaman
• अश्वत्थामा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: then/from that (time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• जज्ञे: was born
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• द्रोणात्: from Drona
• द्रोणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• महाबलः: very strong/mighty
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Dhrishtadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• साक्षात्: directly/in person
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• अग्नि-सम-द्युतिः: having splendor equal to fire
• अग्नि-सम-द्युतिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्नि + सम + द्युति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

दाश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• दाश (Daśa)
• अश्वत्थामा (Aśvatthāmā)
• द्रोण (Droṇa / Droṇācārya)
• धृष्टद्युम्न (Dhṛṣṭadyumna)
• अग्नि / अग्निदेव (Agni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how extraordinary births and ritual forces can be tied to destiny in war, suggesting that personal prowess and divine/ritual origins do not automatically confer moral clarity; they can also serve vengeance, intensifying the ethical burden of conflict and the responsibility to act within dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Daśa narrates two births: Aśvatthāmā is born to Droṇa, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna arises from sacrificial fire, radiant like Agni. Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s emergence is linked to a specific purpose—bringing about Droṇa’s destruction—setting up a major future confrontation.