Shloka 60

द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake

Devanagari script

अभश्र॒त्थामा तु तद्‌ राजन्‌ निशम्य वचनं मम

Transliteration

abhāśratthāmā tu tad rājan niśamya vacanaṃ mama

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, Aśvatthāmā, having heard those words of mine, then…”

Word by Word

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

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तत्: that (thing/that matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• निशम्य: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

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

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāmā
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of hearing and responding to counsel: actions in war often pivot on how one receives spoken guidance, and the narrative stresses attentive listening as the prelude to consequential choice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues reporting events to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, stating that Aśvatthāmā heard Sañjaya’s words; the sentence is a narrative bridge leading into Aśvatthāmā’s ensuing reaction or decision.