Shloka 21

कृपोपदेशः — द्रौणेरनिद्रा च

Kṛpa’s Counsel and Drauṇi’s Sleepless Resolve

Devanagari script

राजन! मामाके इस प्रकार हितकारक वचन कहनेपर द्रोणकुमार अभश्वत्थामाने क्रोधसे लाल आँखें करके उनसे कहा--

Transliteration

rājan! māmake is prakāra hitakāraka vacana kahane para droṇakumāraḥ aśvatthāmā krodhena lāla-akṣī kṛtvā tān uvāca—

Translation

Kripa said: “O King! When we, his own well-wishers, spoke to him in this beneficial manner, Drona’s son Aśvatthāmā—his eyes reddened with anger—replied to them.”

Word by Word

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मामके: in/among my people (the Mamaka-s)
• मामके: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मामक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• ए: indeed/hey (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ए

• इस: by this / in this manner
• इस: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रकार: in the manner/way
• प्रकार: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हितकारक: beneficial
• हितकारक: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हितकारक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचन: speech/words
• वचन: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कहने: saying / to say
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: ल्युट् (infinitive-like verbal noun in Hindi usage), Active

• पर: upon/after/on
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर

• द्रोणकुमार: Drona's son
• द्रोणकुमार: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणकुमार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्वत्थामा: Ashvatthama
• अश्वत्थामा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रोध: with anger
• क्रोध: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• लाल: red
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लाल
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• आँखें: eyes
• आँखें: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• कृत्वा: having made/doing
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा, Absolutive, Active

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Active

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kṛpa
• Aśvatthāmā
• Droṇa
• King (addressed; likely Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the frame narration)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even well-meant counsel can be rejected when a person is overpowered by anger; wrath distorts perception and becomes a gateway to unethical action, a recurring Mahābhārata warning about krodha undermining dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛpa reports to the king that after their party offered Aśvatthāmā beneficial advice, he reacted with intense anger—his eyes reddening—and began to answer them, setting up the next speech and the ensuing actions of the Sauptika episode.