Mahabharata 7.167.20 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 167, Shloka 20
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
निशीथे तुरगा राजन् द्रावयन्त: परस्परम् । समदृश्यन्त वेगेन पक्षवन्तो यथाउद्रय:
niśīthe turaṅgā rājan drāvayantaḥ parasparam | samadṛśyanta vegena pakṣavantaḥ yathā udrayāḥ ||
Sañjaya thưa: Giữa đêm khuya, tâu Đại vương, những con ngựa, thúc ép lẫn nhau trong cơn lao vút, vì tốc lực dữ dội mà trông như loài có cánh. Trong bóng tối ấy, cơn cuồng loạn của chiến trận khiến cả chiến mã thường tình cũng như vượt khỏi bản tính, tựa hồ chiến tranh đã ban cho chúng đôi cánh.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the intensity of conflict distorts perception: in the darkness and urgency of war, speed and fear make ordinary things appear extraordinary. Ethically, it underscores war’s power to overwhelm clarity and normal judgment, reminding the listener that violence creates a world where discernment is easily lost.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at midnight, the horses were being driven hard and seemed to race so swiftly that they looked like winged beings. It is a vivid battlefield image emphasizing the nocturnal chaos and relentless momentum of the fighting.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.