अश्वत्थामोवाच
न च तावज् जिता गावो न च सीमान्तरं गताः ॥
न हास्तिनपुरं प्राप्तास् त्वं च कर्ण विकत्थसे ॥
संग्रामान् सुबहूञ् जित्वा लब्ध्वा च विपुलं धनम् ॥
विजित्य च परां भूमिं नाहुः किं चन पौरुषम् ॥
पचत्य् अग्निर् अवाक्यस् तु तूष्णीं भाति दिवाकरः ॥
तूष्णीं धारयते लोकान् वसुधा सचराचरान् ॥
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य कर्माणि विहितानि मनीषिभिः ॥
धनं यैर् अधिगन्तव्यं यच् च कुर्वन् न दुष्यति ॥
अधीत्य ब्राह्मणो वेदान् याजयेत यजेत च ॥
क्षत्रियो धनुर् आश्रित्य यजेतैव न याजयेत् ॥
वैश्यो ऽधिगम्य द्रव्याणि ब्रह्मकर्माणि कारयेत् ॥
वर्तमाना यथाशास्त्रं प्राप्य चापि महीम् इमाम् ॥
सत् कुर्वन्ति महाभागा गुरून् सुविगुणान् अपि ॥
प्राप्य द्यूतेन को राज्यं क्षत्रियस् तोष्टुम् अर्हति ॥
तथा नृशंसरूपेण यथान्यः प्राकृतो जनः ॥
तथावाप्तेषु वित्तेषु को विकत्थेद् विचक्षणः ॥
निकृत्या वञ्चनायोगैश् चरन् वैतंसिको यथा ॥
aśvatthāmovāca
na ca tāvaj jitā gāvo na ca sīmāntaraṃ gatāḥ ||
na hāstinapuraṃ prāptās tvaṃ ca karṇa vikatthase ||
saṃgrāmān subahūñ jitvā labdhvā ca vipulaṃ dhanam ||
vijitya ca parāṃ bhūmiṃ nāhuḥ kiṃ cana pauruṣam ||
pacaty agnir avākyas tu tūṣṇīṃ bhāti divākaraḥ ||
tūṣṇīṃ dhārayate lokān vasudhā sacarācarān ||
cāturvarṇyasya karmāṇi vihitāni manīṣibhiḥ ||
dhanaṃ yair adhigantavyaṃ yac ca kurvan na duṣyati ||
adhītya brāhmaṇo vedān yājayeta yajeta ca ||
kṣatriyo dhanur āśritya yajetaiva na yājayet ||
vaiśyo 'dhigamya dravyāṇi brahmakarmāṇi kārayet ||
vartamānā yathāśāstraṃ prāpya cāpi mahīm imām ||
sat kurvanti mahābhāgā gurūn suviguṇān api ||
prāpya dyūtena ko rājyaṃ kṣatriyas toṣṭum arhati ||
tathā nṛśaṃsarūpeṇa yathānyaḥ prākṛto janaḥ ||
tathāvāpteṣu vitteṣu ko vikatthed vicakṣaṇaḥ ||
nikṛtyā vañcanāyogaiś caran vaitaṃsiko yathā ||
Ashvatthaman said: 'The cows have not yet been won, they have not crossed the border, they have not reached Hastinapura -- yet you, Karna, boast. Having won very many battles, having gained vast wealth, and having conquered another's land, true heroes say nothing of their own manliness. Fire cooks in silence; the sun shines in silence; the earth silently sustains the worlds, moving and unmoving alike. The wise have ordained the duties of the four varnas, by which wealth is to be obtained and in performing which a man is not defiled. A brahmin, having studied the Vedas, should perform sacrifices for others and for himself; a kshatriya, relying on his bow, should perform sacrifice himself but not officiate as priest for others; a vaishya, having acquired goods, should support the works of the brahmin. Living according to the shastra, and having gained this earth, truly great and noble men honor their teachers even when those teachers have faults. What kshatriya, having won a kingdom by dice, deserves to be content in so cruel a manner, like some base man? What discerning man would boast of wealth so obtained, gained by deceit and traps, like a fowler?'
0dd8028e3a25 · publicado 16 jul 2026, 18:27:29 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Ashvatthaman strikes not at the military question but at the moral foundation of the conflict. A victory won at dice does not become dharma simply because warriors defend it.