ततो बाणमयं वर्षं द्रोणपुत्रस्य मूर्धनि ॥
अवासृजद् अमेयात्मा पाञ्चाल्यो रथिनां वरः ॥
तं द्रौणिः समरे क्रुद्धश् छादयाम् आस पत्रिभिः ॥
विव्याध चैनं दशभिः पितुर् वधम् अनुस्मरन् ॥
द्वाभ्यां च सुविकृष्टाभ्यां क्षुराभ्यां ध्वजकार्मुके ॥
छित्त्वा पाञ्चालराजस्य द्रौणिर् अन्यैः समार्दयत् ॥
tato bāṇamayaṃ varṣaṃ droṇaputrasya mūrdhani ||
avāsṛjad ameyātmā pāñcālyo rathināṃ varaḥ ||
taṃ drauṇiḥ samare kruddhaś chādayām āsa patribhiḥ ||
vivyādha cainaṃ daśabhiḥ pitur vadham anusmaran ||
dvābhyāṃ ca suvikṛṣṭābhyāṃ kṣurābhyāṃ dhvajakārmuke ||
chittvā pāñcālarājasya drauṇir anyaiḥ samārdayat ||
Then a shower of arrows upon the head of the son of Drona was poured forth by the Panchalya, boundless in spirit, best of charioteers. Him Drauni, enraged in battle, covered with arrows and pierced with ten more, remembering his father's death. And with two well-drawn razor-arrows [kshura] he cut the banner and bow of the son of the king of Panchala, and struck him with other arrows.
1908a6ab2245 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
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Ashvatthaman fights on, unceasingly "recalling his father's death": every arrow is driven by that same grief-turned-fury. It is telling that memory of the slain multiplies the avenger's strength tenfold -- grief becomes the fuel of battle. The verse teaches that unresolved grief turns into inexhaustible wrath; and one who feeds his strength on the memory of loss fights untiringly -- but this is the strength of a doomed cycle, where pain begets pain.