Shloka 15

Devanagari script

त॑ नृशंसेन पापेन क्र्रेणादीर्घदर्शिना । श्रुत्वा निहतमाचार्यम श्वत्थामा किमब्रवीत्‌,उस नृशंस, पापी, क्रूर और अदूरदर्शी धृष्टद्युम्नके हाथसे आचार्यका वध हुआ सुनकर अश्व॒ृत्थामाने क्या कहा?

Transliteration

taṁ nṛśaṁsena pāpena krūreṇādīrghadarśinā | śrutvā nihataṁ ācāryam aśvatthāmā kim abravīt ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “When Aśvatthāmā heard that the revered teacher (Droṇa) had been slain by the ruthless, sinful, cruel, and short-sighted Dhṛṣṭadyumna, what did he say?”

Word by Word

तत्that (act/event)

नृशंसेनby/with the cruel (one)

पापेनby/with the sinful (one)

क्रूरेणby/with the harsh (one)

अदीर्घदर्शिनाby the short-sighted (one)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

निहतम्slain

आचार्यम्the teacher (Drona)

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthama

किम्what

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Droṇa (Ācārya)

Aśvatthāmā

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 frames Droṇa’s killing as an act marked by cruelty and short-sightedness, highlighting how adharma in war—especially against a revered teacher—breeds further grief and retaliation, and how moral blindness (adīrghadarśitā) escalates violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks what Aśvatthāmā said upon hearing that his father and preceptor Droṇa had been slain by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, setting up Aśvatthāmā’s response and the ensuing turn toward vengeance.