Shloka 55
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
Devanagari script
इत्येवं निश्चयं चक्रे सुप्तानां निशि मारणे
Transliteration
ity evaṁ niścayaṁ cakre suptānāṁ niśi māraṇe
Translation
Sañjaya said: Thus he formed a firm resolve—to slay men in the night while they slept.
Word by Word
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
एवम्in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
निश्चयम्decision, resolve
निश्चयम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिश्चय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
चक्रेmade, formed
चक्रे:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPerfect (Paroksha/लिट्), Third, Singular, Atmanepada
सुप्तानाम्of (those) sleeping
सुप्तानाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
निशिat night
निशि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
मारणेin killing, in the act of slaying
मारणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमारण
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intention and method matter ethically: deciding to kill sleeping people at night marks a deliberate move away from righteous warfare toward adharma, showing how vengeance can override moral restraint.
Sañjaya reports that a decisive plan has been made to carry out killings at night against those who are asleep—setting the stage for the infamous nocturnal slaughter that characterizes the Sauptika episode.