Shloka 3

स्त्रीपर्व — नवमोऽध्यायः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Kuru women; the city departs in collective lamentation

Devanagari script

इसी प्रकार कुरुवंशी राजा महामनस्वी धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिने तथा कृप आदि तीनों महारथियोंने क्या किया? ।। अश्वत्थाम्न: श्रुतं कर्म शापश्चान्योन्यकारित: । वृत्तान्तमुत्तरं ब्रूहि यदभाषत संजय:,अश्वत्थामाका कर्म तो मैंने सुन लिया, परस्पर जो शाप दिये गये, उनका हाल भी मालूम हो गया। अब आगेका वृत्तान्त बताइये, जिसे संजयने धृतराष्ट्रको सुनाया हो

Transliteration

janamejaya uvāca | aśvatthāmnaḥ śrutaṃ karma śāpaś cānyonyakāritaḥ | vṛttāntam uttaraṃ brūhi yad abhāṣata sañjayaḥ ||

Translation

Janamejaya berkata: “Aku telah mendengar perbuatan Aśvatthāman, dan aku juga mengetahui bagaimana kutukan-kutukan itu saling dilontarkan. Sekarang ceritakanlah apa yang terjadi sesudahnya—kisah lanjutan yang disampaikan Sañjaya kepada Dhṛtarāṣṭra.”

Word by Word

अश्वत्थाम्नःof Ashvatthaman

श्रुतम्heard

कर्मdeed, act

शापःcurse

चand

अन्योन्यकारितःcaused mutually (given to each other)

वृत्तान्तम्account, narrative

उत्तरम्subsequent, further

ब्रूहिtell (you), speak

यत्which, what

अभाषतspoke, said

संजयःSanjaya

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Aśvatthāman

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 frames ethical inquiry after catastrophe: knowing an act and its retaliatory consequences (curses) is not enough; one must also understand the unfolding aftermath as narrated by reliable witnesses, highlighting accountability and the moral continuity of events beyond the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya, having heard about Aśvatthāman’s deed and the mutual curses, asks for the next part of the story—specifically the continuation that Sañjaya reported to the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra.