Shloka 16

अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa

Chapter 161

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच प्रसाद्यमानस्तु ततो राज्ञा द्रौणिमहामना: । प्रससाद महाराज क्रोधवेगसमन्वित:,संजय कहते हैं--महाराज! राजा दुर्योधनके मनानेपर क्रोधके वेगसे युक्त महामना अश्र॒त्थामा शान्त एवं प्रसन्न हो गया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca prasādyamānas tu tato rājñā drauṇir mahāmanāḥ | prasasāda mahārāja krodha-vega-samanvitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Daraufhin wurde der hochgesinnte Aśvatthāman, vom König besänftigt — obgleich noch vom Ansturm des Zorns erfüllt — ruhig und wohlgesinnt, o großer König.“

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

प्रसाद्यमानःbeing appeased / being pacified

तुbut/indeed

ततःthen/thereupon

राज्ञाby the king

द्रौणिःDrauni (Ashvatthama, son of Drona)

महामनाःgreat-souled

प्रससादbecame calm / was appeased

महाराजO great king

क्रोधवेगसमन्वितःendowed with the surge of anger

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Duryodhana

Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical necessity of restraining anger (krodha) even amid warfare: persuasion and wise counsel can cool a violent impulse, preventing rash action and preserving discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana (the king) succeeds in placating Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi). Though still stirred by anger’s momentum, Aśvatthāmā becomes outwardly calm and agreeable.