Shloka 38

Devanagari script

इति श्रुत्वा तु वचन द्रोणपुत्रस्य कौरव: । मनस: प्रीतिजननं कृपं वचनमत्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

iti śrutvā tu vacanaṃ droṇaputrasya kauravaḥ | manasaḥ prītijananaṃ kṛpaṃ vacanam abravīt ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als er die Worte von Droṇas Sohn vernommen hatte, redete der Kaurava (der König) zu Kṛpa in gefälliger, beschwichtigender Weise, die dessen Herz erfreute.

Word by Word

इतिthus

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तुbut/indeed

वचनम्speech/words

द्रोणपुत्रस्यof Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)

कौरवःthe Kaurava (Duryodhana)

मनसःof the mind

प्रीतिजननम्producing delight

कृपम्to Kripa

वचनम्words/speech

अत्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Droṇa

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāman)

Kaurava (Duryodhana)

Kṛpa

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 the ethical power of speech in crisis: a leader, after hearing counsel, chooses words that are pleasing and conciliatory to steady allies and sustain morale. It implies that how one speaks—especially in war—can shape loyalty, clarity, and resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that after hearing Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son), Duryodhana turns to Kṛpa and addresses him with heart-pleasing words, indicating a shift into consultation and persuasion among the Kaurava commanders.