The argument is that when Drona lay unconscious, the enemy's laying his hand on his head could be no insult to him but it was rather an insult to his son-an insult as great as if the enemy had planted his very foot on his head,
But the sentence admits of another interpretation and this is the one commonly adopted, तस्य रिपोः शिरसि मम अयं पादः एवनिहितः न करः-'But here I plant my very food on the head of that enemy' and not merely my hand. As he says this, he stamps his foot on the ground by way of offering a challenge, In this construction, the adjective स्फुरत &c, Would have a special propriety as furnishing a contrast between the fair play by which ashvatthaman offers to overcome the enemy and the foul play by which the enemy slaughtered his father. But in this interpretation 'एव' which ought to go always with the word which it stands has to be transferred and taken with पादः, which is positively objectionable. In view of this consideration ‘मयैवार्य पादः' &c. would be preferable, as एव then can be construed with मया somehow, though at the sacrifice of force which lies in emphasizing the contrast of पाद with कर.
St. 23. तातं शस्त्रग्रहणविमुखं निश्चयेन उपलभ्य शङ्कां त्यक्त्वा अस्य उत्तमा पाणि विदधतः खलु ते स्मृति करधृतधनुः पाण्डुप । बालसेनातलोत्क्षेपप्रलयपवनः अश्वत्थामा किं न यातः ।
शस्त्रग्रहणातत् विमुखम् । पाण्डुपाञ्चलि.........पवनः–पण्डिाः पाञ्चालानां च सेन एव तूलः तस्य उत्क्षेपे प्रलयसंबन्धी पवनः, तम्.
Translation :---When, knowing for certain that my father was disinclined to use (or averse to using his weapon, you laid a violent hand on his head without scruple, did you not, indeed, think of Asvatthaman as of one who when armed with the bow, would prove the very wind of world-destruction for blowing away the mass of cotton, namely, the armies of Pandu and the Pannchalas?
अलिकप्रकृतिजिह्मचेतसा-अलीका प्रकृतिः यस्य तथाभूतः, जिह्यं चेतः यस्य तथाभतश्च तेन, Hypocritical by nature and crooked minded.
The Pandavas and their chief partisans are generally characterized by a spirit of chivalry and Ashwathaman is surprised at the indifference with which yet these art: passing by a deed which abominable enough itself, is rendered much more sacrile
