ततः स्निग्धाम्बुदाभासं वेदव्यासम् अकल्मषम् ॥
आवासं च सरस्वत्याः स वै व्यासं ददर्श ह ॥
तं द्रौणिर् अग्रतो दृष्ट्वा स्थितं कुरुकुलोद्वह ॥
सन्नकण्ठो ऽब्रवीद् वाक्यम् अभिवाद्य सुदीनवत् ॥
भो भो माया यदृच्छा वा न विद्मः किम् इदं भवेत् ॥
अस्त्रं त्व् इदं कथं मिथ्या मम कश् च व्यतिक्रमः ॥
tataḥ snigdhāmbudābhāsaṃ vedavyāsam akalmaṣam ||
āvāsaṃ ca sarasvatyāḥ sa vai vyāsaṃ dadarśa ha ||
taṃ drauṇir agrato dṛṣṭvā sthitaṃ kurukulodvaha ||
sannakaṇṭho 'bravīd vākyam abhivādya sudīnavat ||
bho bho māyā yadṛcchā vā na vidmaḥ kim idaṃ bhavet ||
astraṃ tv idaṃ kathaṃ mithyā mama kaś ca vyatikramaḥ ||
Then he beheld Vyasa — Vedavyasa the stainless, resembling a rain-laden cloud, at his dwelling near the Sarasvati. Seeing him standing before him, O upholder of the Kuru line, Drauni, throat constricted, spoke, bowing most despondently: "O, O! Sorcery, or chance — we do not know what this was; how did this weapon become vain, and what is my transgression?"
2ed5ccb8d5e8 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
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The shattered Ashvatthaman, in confusion, comes to Vyasa — and humbly asks wherein his fault lies. It is telling that the collapse of pride leads him to the sage: only having lost his self-assurance does a man become able to listen. The verse teaches that bewilderment and humility are the gates to higher knowledge; and one who, having exhausted his own strength, seeks an answer from the knowing with bowed head is already on the path to a truth unreachable through pride.