धुर्यान् प्रमुच्य तु रथाद् धतसूतान् स्वलंकृतान् ॥
अधिरुह्य हयान् योधाः क्षिप्रं पद्भिर् अचोदयन् ॥
द्रवमाणे तथा सैन्ये त्रस्तरूपे हतौजसि ॥
प्रतिस्रोत इव ग्राहो द्रोणपुत्रः परान् इयात् ॥
हत्वा बहुविधां सेनां पाण्डूनां युद्धदुर्मदः ॥
कथं चित् संकटान् मुक्तो मत्तद्विरदविक्रमः ॥
dhuryān pramucya tu rathād dhatasūtān svalaṃkṛtān ||
adhiruhya hayān yodhāḥ kṣipraṃ padbhir acodayan ||
dravamāṇe tathā sainye trastarūpe hataujasi ||
pratisrota iva grāho droṇaputraḥ parān iyāt ||
hatvā bahuvidhāṃ senāṃ pāṇḍūnāṃ yuddhadurmadaḥ ||
kathaṃ cit saṃkaṭān mukto mattadviradavikramaḥ ||
Unyoking the draft horses from the chariots -- with their charioteers slain, finely adorned -- the warriors mounted the horses and quickly urged them on with their heels. As the army thus fled, terrified in appearance, drained of strength, like a crocodile against the current, the son of Drona [Ashvatthaman] advanced upon the foes. Having slain the manifold army of the Pandus, furious in battle, having somehow escaped the strait, he, in might like a rutting elephant.
8eb71a347e32 · publicado 19 jul 2026, 17:08:17 UTC
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Amid the universal rout, Ashvatthaman alone goes "against the current," like a crocodile against the stream: the son does not yet know of his father's death, but already carries his fury. It is telling that one man's valor throws into relief the cowardice of the crowd: where all flee, a single man's firmness shines the brighter. The verse teaches that true strength does not follow the common current of fear but stands against it; and though here it is turned to ill, its very unbending quality reminds us that the spirit can move against everyone.