Shloka 48
धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः
Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue
तच्छुत्वान्तहितं भूतमन्तरिक्षस्थमब्रवीत् । अश्वस्येवास्य यत् स्थाम नदत: प्रदिशो गतम्
tac chrutvāntarhitaṃ bhūtam antarīkṣastham abravīt | aśvasyevāsyayat sthāma nadataḥ pradiśo gatam ||
เมื่อได้ยินดังนั้น สัตตะที่เร้นกายในกลางอากาศกล่าวว่า—“เสียงร้องของเด็กนี้มีกำลังดุจม้า ก้องไปทั่วทุกทิศ”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata motif that a person’s name and future renown can be linked to an early sign (nimitta). The child’s extraordinary cry becomes a marker of identity and destiny, affirmed by an impartial, otherworldly witness.
At Aśvatthāmā’s birth, his cry is so forceful that it echoes in all directions like a horse’s neigh. An invisible being in the sky declares that this is why he will be known as “Aśvatthāmā,” and Droṇa is pleased on hearing this pronouncement about his son.