PURPORT

Aswathama's mother Kripi was born in the family of Goutama. The signficant word in this sloka is that Aswathama was caught and bound up by ropes like an animal. According to Sridhar Swami Arjuna was duty bound to catch this son of a Brahmin like an animal as part of his duty (Dharma). This suggestion of Sridhar Swami is also confirmed in the later statement of Sri Krishna. Aswathama was a bonafide son of Dronacharya and Kripi but because he had degraded himself to a lower status of life it was apt to treat him as an animal and not as a Brahmin simply on account of his high parentage of being the son of a great Brahmin Dronacharya.