दुर्योधन उवाच
न त्व् एतद् अद्भुतं मन्ये यत् ते महद् इदं मनः ॥
अस्मासु च परा भक्तिस् तव गौतमिनन्दन ॥
संजय उवाच
अश्वत्थामानम् उक्त्वैवं ततः सौबलम् अब्रवीत् ॥
वृतः शतसहस्रेण रथानां रणशोभिनाम् ॥
षष्ट्या गजसहस्रैश् च प्रयाहि त्वं धनंजयम् ॥
कर्णश् च वृषसेनश् च कृपो नीलस् तथैव च ॥
duryodhana uvāca
na tv etad adbhutaṃ manye yat te mahad idaṃ manaḥ ||
asmāsu ca parā bhaktis tava gautaminandana ||
saṃjaya uvāca
aśvatthāmānam uktvaivaṃ tataḥ saubalam abravīt ||
vṛtaḥ śatasahasreṇa rathānāṃ raṇaśobhinām ||
ṣaṣṭyā gajasahasraiś ca prayāhi tvaṃ dhanaṃjayam ||
karṇaś ca vṛṣasenaś ca kṛpo nīlas tathaiva ca ||
[Duryodhana said:] 'Nor do I count it a wonder that you have so great a spirit, and toward us the highest devotion, O delight of Gautami [Ashvatthaman].' Having spoken thus to Ashvatthaman, he then said to Saubala [Shakuni], surrounded by a hundred thousand chariots shining in battle and sixty thousand elephants: 'Go you against Dhananjaya; Karna and Vrishasena, Kripa, and Nila as well...'
1a76f26e9adb · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Duryodhana honors Ashvatthaman's devotion as something natural: 'I do not marvel at your supreme bhakti.' It is significant that even in the camp of the unrighteous, a teacher's devotion to the house is revered as the highest virtue. The verse teaches that fidelity to duty and attachment to one's own are worthy of recognition everywhere; yet devotion given to an unrighteous cause, as with Ashvatthaman, remains valor turned toward a ruinous end.