आगमिष्यति निर्वेदं धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
दृष्ट्वा विनिहतान् संख्ये पाञ्चालान् सोमकैः सह ॥
ये मां युद्धे ऽभियोत्स्यन्ति तान् हनिष्यामि भारत ॥
न हि ते वीर मुच्येरन् मद्बाह्वन्तरम् आगताः ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा महाबाहुः पुत्रं दुर्योधनं तव ॥
अभ्यवर्तत युद्धाय द्रावयन् सर्वधन्विनः ॥
चिकीर्षुस् तव पुत्राणां प्रियं प्राणभृतां वरः ॥
ततो ऽब्रवीत् सकैकेयान् पाञ्चालान् गौतमीसुतः ॥
प्रहरध्वम् इतः सर्वे मम गात्रे महारथाः ॥
स्थिरीभूताश् च युध्यध्वं दर्शयन्तो ऽस्त्रलाघवम् ॥
āgamiṣyati nirvedaṃ dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā vinihatān saṃkhye pāñcālān somakaiḥ saha ||
ye māṃ yuddhe 'bhiyotsyanti tān haniṣyāmi bhārata ||
na hi te vīra mucyeran madbāhvantaram āgatāḥ ||
evam uktvā mahābāhuḥ putraṃ duryodhanaṃ tava ||
abhyavartata yuddhāya drāvayan sarvadhanvinaḥ ||
cikīrṣus tava putrāṇāṃ priyaṃ prāṇabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
tato 'bravīt sakaikeyān pāñcālān gautamīsutaḥ ||
praharadhvam itaḥ sarve mama gātre mahārathāḥ ||
sthirībhūtāś ca yudhyadhvaṃ darśayanto 'stralāghavam ||
'The son of Dharma, Yudhishthira, will come to despair, having seen the Panchalas slain in battle along with the Somakas. Whoever fights with me in battle, those I shall slay, O Bharata; for those who fall within the reach of my arms, hero, will not escape.' Thus having spoken, the mighty-armed one advanced toward battle for your son Duryodhana, putting to flight all the archers. Then the son of Gautami said to the Kekayas and Panchalas: 'Strike, all of you, at my body, maharathas.'
0149856b1d6e · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC
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Ashvatthama boldly calls on his enemies to strike him all at once — 'strike at my body': a fearlessness bordering on a challenge to fate. His promise to plunge Yudhishthira into despair through the destruction of the Panchalas is telling. The verse teaches that true courage does not hide but bares itself to blows; and one who calls on enemies to strike his own chest displays a confidence born not of boasting but of mastery of arms.