Shloka 31
Devanagari script
अश्वत्थाम्न: सनामान हत्वा नागं सुदुर्मते
Transliteration
aśvatthāmnaḥ sanāmānaṃ hatvā nāgaṃ sudurmate
Translation
সঞ্জয় বললেন—হে দুর্মতি! অশ্বত্থামা নামে হাতিটিকে বধ করে তারা একই নামকে আশ্রয় করে লোককে বিভ্রান্ত করতে ঘোষণা করল; যুদ্ধের চাপে থেকেও এই কাজ সেই মুহূর্তের ধর্মবোধকে কলুষিত করল।
Word by Word
अश्वत्थाम्नःof Ashvatthaman
अश्वत्थाम्नः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअश्वत्थामन्
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
सनामानम्Sanaaman (proper name)
सनामानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसनामन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
हत्वाhaving slain
हत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormAbsolutive (Gerund)
नागम्the serpent / Nāga
नागम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनाग
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
सुदुर्मतेO very evil-minded one
सुदुर्मते:
TypeNoun
Rootसुदुर्मति
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaA
Aśvatthāman (name invoked)T
the elephant named AśvatthāmanCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even in war, manipulating truth through equivocation (using a shared name to create a false belief) raises serious ethical fault-lines; dharma is tested not only by actions but by intention and speech.
The narrative refers to the killing of an elephant bearing the name ‘Aśvatthāman’ and the strategic use of that fact to mislead others who would assume it meant the warrior Aśvatthāman—an instance of wartime deception centered on a namesake.