jis samay mahabharat yuddh men kaurav aur pandav donon pakshon ke bahut se vir-virgti ko prapt ho chuke the aur bhimsen ki gada ke prahar se duryodhan ki jangh tut chuki thi, tab ashvatthama ne apne svami duryodhan ka priya karya samajhakar draupdi ke sote hue putron ke sir katakar use bhent kiye, yah ghatna duryodhan ko bhi apriya hi lagi; kyonki aise nich karm ki sabhi ninda karte hain. un balkon ki mata draupdi apne putron ka nidhan sunakar atyant duahkhi ho gayi. arjun ne draupdi ko santvana di aur shrikrishn ki salah se unhen sarthi banakar kavach dharan kar aur apne bhayanak gandiv dhanush ko lekar ve rath par savar hue tatha guruputra ashvatthama ke piche daud pade.
bachchon ki hatya se ashvatthama ka bhi man udvign ho gaya tha. jab usne dur se hi dekha ki arjun meri or jhapte hue a rahe hain, tab vah apne pranon ki raksha ke lie jahan tak bhag sakta tha, bhaga. jab usne dekha ki mere rath ke ghode thak gaye hain aur main bilkul akela hun, tab usne apne ko bachane ka ekmatra sadhan brahmastra hi samjha. yadyapi use brahmastra ko lautane ki vidhi malum n thi, fir bhi pran sankat men dekhakar usne achaman kiya aur dhyanasth hokar brahmastra ka sandhan kiya. us astra se sab dishaon men ek bada prachand tej fail gaya. arjun ne dekha ki ab to mere pranon par hi a bani hai, tab unhonne shrikrishn se prarthana ki.
shrikrishn ne kaha ki arjun yah ashvatthama ka chalaya hua brahmastra hai. yah bat samajh lo ki pransankat upasthit hone se usne iska prayog to kar diya hai, parantu vah is astra ko lautana nahin janta. kisi bhi dusre astra mane isko daba dene ki shakti nahin hai. tum shastrastra-vidya ko bhalibhanti jante hi ho, brahmastra ke tej se hi is brahmastra ki prachand ag ko bujha do. arjun ne bhi brahmastra ka sandhan kiya aur use chalaya. donon astron ke apas men takrane se pralay si sthiti utpann ho gayi. ant men arjun ne ashvatthama ko pakad liya aur bandhakar draupdi ke samaksh le gaye. shrikrishn ne bhi kupit hokar kaha- ‘arjun! is brahmanadham ko chodna thik nahin hai, isko to mar hi dalo.
isne rat men soye hue nirpradh balkon ki hatya ki hai. dharmav purush asavdhan, matvale, pagal, soye hue, balak, stri, vivek gyanshunya, sharnagat, rathhin aur bhaybhit shatru ko kabhi nahin marte. parantu jo dusht aur krur purush dusron ko marakar apne prananka poshan karta hai, uska to vadh hi uske lie kalyankari hai. is papi kulangar attayi ne tumhare putron ka vadh kiya hai aur apne svami duryodhan ko bhi duahkh pahunchaya hai. islie arjun! ise mar hi dalo. bhagvan shrikrishn ne arjun ke dharm ki pariksha lene ke lie is prakar prerna ki, parantu arjun ka hriday mahan tha. yadyapi ashvatthama ne unke putron ki hatya ki thi, fir bhi arjun ke man men guru putra ko marne ki ichcha nahin hui.
arjun ne draupdi ko use saunp diya. draupdi ne dekha ki ashvatthama pashu ki tarah bandhakar laya gaya hai. nindit karm karne ke karan uska mukh niche ki or jhuka hua hai. apna anisht karne vale guru putra ashvatthama ko is prakar apmanit dekhakar draupdi ka komal hriday kripa se se bhar aya aur usne ashvatthama ko namaskar kiya. guru putra ka is prakar bandhakar laya jana sati draupdi ko sahan nahin hua. usne kaha- ‘chod do inhen, chod do. ye brahman hain, ham logon ke atyant pujniya hain. jinki kripa se apne rahasya ke sath sare dhanurved aur prayog tatha upsanhar ke sath sanpurn shastron ka gyan prapt kiya hai, ve apke acharya dron hi putra ke rup men apke samne khade hain.
aryuputra! ap to bade dharmagya hain. jis guruvansh ki nitya puja aur vandna karni chahie, usi ko vyatha pahunchana apke yogya karya nahin hai. draupdi ki bat dharm aur nyay ke anukul thi. usmen kapat nahin tha, karuna aur samta thi. ataev raja yudhishthir ne rani ke in hitbhre shreshth vachnon ka abhinandan kiya. krodhit hokar bhimsen ne kaha, ‘jisne sote hue bachchon ko n apne lie aur n apne svami ke lie, balki vyarth hi mar dala, uska to vadh hi um hai. bhagvan shrikrishn ne draupdi aur bhimsen ki bat sunakar aur arjun ki or dekhakar hanste hue kaha: ‘patit brahman ka bhi vadh nahin karna chahie aur attayi ko mar hi dalna chahie’- shastron men mainne hi ye donon baten kahi hain.
islie meri donon agyaon ka palan karo. arjun bhagvan ke hriday ki bat turant tad gaye aur unhonne apni talvar se ashvatthama ke sir ki mani uske balon ke sath utar li. balkon ki hatya karne se vah shrihin to pahle hi ho gaya tha, ab mani aur brahm tej se bhi rahit ho gaya. iske bad unhonne rassi ka bandhan kholakar use shivir se nikal diya.