केशान् नियम्य यत्नेन नि:श्वसन्नुरगो यथा । संरम्भाश्रुपरीताभ्यां नेत्राभ्यामभिवीक्ष्य माम्
keśān niyamya yatnena niḥśvasann urago yathā | saṃrambhāśruparītābhyāṃ netrābhyām abhivīkṣya mām ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവൻ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ തന്റെ കേശങ്ങൾ നിയന്ത്രിച്ചു; സർപ്പത്തെപ്പോലെ കനത്ത ശ്വാസം വിട്ടുകൊണ്ട്, ഉഗ്രാവേശത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന കണ്ണീരാൽ നിറഞ്ഞ കണ്ണുകളാൽ എന്നെ നോക്കി.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical tension between inner turmoil and outward restraint: even amid war-born rage and grief, a person may struggle to control bodily signs (here, hair and breath), revealing how powerful emotions can overwhelm composure while still being partially governed by will.
Sañjaya describes a figure (contextually, someone reacting to catastrophic war news) who, panting like a serpent and with tear-filled eyes from intense agitation, turns his gaze toward Sañjaya—signaling a moment of charged emotion before speech or action.