Shloka 5
Śikhaṇḍin’s Transformation, Daśārṇa Verification, and Kubera’s Conditional Curse
Udyoga Parva 193
गौतमो द्विगुणं कालमुक्तवानिति नः श्रुतम् । द्रौणिस्तु दशरात्रेण प्रतिजज्ञे महास्त्रवित्,भीष्मजीने धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्र दुर्बुद्धि दुर्योधनको यह उत्तर दिया कि मैं एक महीनेमें पाण्डव-सेनाका विनाश कर सकता हूँ। द्रोणाचार्यने भी उतने ही समयमें वैसा करनेकी प्रतिज्ञा की। कृपाचार्यने दो महीनेका समय बताया। यह बात हमारे सुननेमें आयी है तथा महान् अस्त्रवेत्ता अश्वत्थामाने दस ही दिनोंमें पाण्डव-सेनाके संहारकी प्रतिज्ञा की है
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca |
gautamo dviguṇaṃ kālam uktavān iti naḥ śrutam | drauṇis tu daśarātreṇa pratijajñe mahāstravit ||
Sinabi ni Yudhiṣṭhira: “Narinig namin na si Gautama (Kṛpa) ay nagsabi ng panahong doble. Ngunit si Droṇi—si Aśvatthāman, ang dakilang dalubhasa sa mga sandata—ay nanumpang sa loob lamang ng sampung gabi ay malilipol niya ang hukbo ng mga Pāṇḍava.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in the lead-up to war, competitive vows about rapid victory can normalize large-scale destruction; it implicitly invites reflection on dharma—whether prowess and speed in killing can ever outweigh moral restraint and responsibility.
Yudhiṣṭhira reports what he has heard: different warriors or authorities have declared differing timeframes for destroying the Pāṇḍava army, and Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son) has made the boldest pledge—accomplishing it in ten nights.