Shloka 15

Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)

Devanagari script

ततो<स्य तनुज: पार्थान्‌ कृपस्यानन्तरं प्रभु: । अस्त्राणि शिक्षयामास नाबुध्यन्त च तं जना:

Transliteration

tato 'sya tanujaḥ pārthān kṛpasyānantaraṃ prabhuḥ | astrāṇi śikṣayāmāsa nābudhyanta ca taṃ janāḥ ||

Translation

Then his son—the powerful Aśvatthāmā—after Kṛpa, personally began instructing the Pārthas in the science of weapons; yet the people did not recognize who he truly was.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• तनुजः: son
• तनुजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनुज
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पार्थान्: the sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पार्थान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• कृपस्य: of Kṛpa
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• अनन्तरम्: afterwards, next (after)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर

• प्रभुः: the mighty one, lord
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अस्त्राणि: weapons (missile-weapons)
• अस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• शिक्षयामास: taught, instructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: शिक्ष्
• Form: perfect (periphrastic), third, singular, parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अबुध्यन्त: understood, recognized
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: imperfect, third, plural, ātmanepada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Aśvatthāmā
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Knowledge—especially martial knowledge (astra-vidyā)—is transmitted through established teachers and lineages, yet social perception may fail to recognize true authority or identity; competence and instruction can operate independently of public recognition.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kṛpācārya, Aśvatthāmā (his son) takes up the role of instructor and trains the Pāṇḍavas in weapons, but the surrounding people do not realize who he is.