Shloka 30

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच एवमुक्त्वा महाराज द्रोणपुत्र: प्रतापवान्‌ । एकान्ते योजयित्वाश्वान्‌ प्रायादभिमुख: परान्‌,संजय कहते हैं--महाराज! ऐसा कहकर प्रतापी द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा एकान्तमें घोड़ोंको जोतकर शत्रुओंकी ओर चल दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca evam uktvā mahārāja droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān | ekānte yojayitvā aśvān prāyād abhimukhaḥ parān ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O König, nachdem der tapfere Sohn Droṇas, Aśvatthāmā, so gesprochen hatte, spannte er an einem abgelegenen Ort seine Pferde an und brach auf, dem Feind entgegen.“

Word by Word

संजयःSanjaya

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्त्वाhaving said

महाराजO great king

द्रोणपुत्रःDrona's son (Ashvatthama)

प्रतापवान्valiant, mighty

एकान्तेin a secluded place

योजयित्वाhaving yoked/harnessed

अश्वान्horses

प्रायात्went forth, departed

अभिमुखःfacing, turned toward

परान्the others; the enemies

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')

Droṇa

Aśvatthāmā

horses

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intention becomes action: after resolving inwardly, Aśvatthāmā prepares in secrecy and moves toward the enemy. In the Sauptika context, this preparation foreshadows ethically fraught violence—showing how private resolve, when driven by wrath and vengeance, can lead to deeds condemned by dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Aśvatthāmā, having finished speaking, goes aside, harnesses his horses away from public view, and departs toward the opposing camp—an immediate prelude to the events of the night attack.