Shloka 57

Devanagari script

यस्यार्थे शस्त्रमादत्से यमवेक्ष्य च जीवसि । पुत्रस्ते दयितो नित्यं सो5श्वत्थामा निपातित:,“आचार्य! तुम जिसके लिये हथियार उठाते हो और जिसका मुँह देखकर जीते हो, वह तुम्हारा सदाका प्यारा पुत्र अश्वत्थामा पृथ्वीपर मार गिराया गया है। जैसे वनमें सिंहका बच्चा सोता है, उसी प्रकार वह रणभूमिमें मरा पड़ा है”

Transliteration

yasyārthe śastram ādatse yam avekṣya ca jīvasi | putras te dayito nityaṃ so ’śvatthāmā nipātitaḥ ||

Translation

“Ācārya! Demi dia engkau mengangkat senjata, dan dengan memandang wajahnya engkau hidup—putramu yang selalu kaukasihi, Aśvatthāmā, telah dijatuhkan.”

Word by Word

यस्यof whom/for whom

अर्थेfor the sake/purpose

शस्त्रम्weapon

आदत्सेyou take up

यम्whom

अवेक्ष्यhaving looked at

चand

जीवसिyou live

पुत्रःson

तेyour

दयितःbeloved/dear

नित्यम्always

सःhe/that (one)

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthama

निपातितःhas been felled/struck down

आचार्यO teacher

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛpa

Aśvatthāmā

weapons (śastra)

battlefield (implicit)

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 deep attachment—especially parental love—can be exploited in war, raising ethical questions about truth, deception, and the collapse of discernment under grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛpa reports (as part of the broader stratagem against Droṇa) that Aśvatthāmā has been killed, aiming to break Droṇa’s resolve by striking at the very person for whom he fights and lives.