Shloka 34

अश्वत्थाम-शापः, परिक्षिद्भविष्यत्, मणि-न्यासः

Aśvatthāman’s Curse, Parikṣit’s Future, and the Mani’s Restitution

Devanagari script

“देवि! उसका सारा यश धूलमें मिल गया। केवल शरीर शेष रह गया है। उसकी मणि भी छीन ली गयी और उससे पृथ्वीपर हथियार डलवा दिया गया है' ।। द्रौपहुुवाच केवलानृण्यमाप्तास्मि गुरुपुत्रो गुरुर्मम । शिरस्यथेतं मर्णिं राजा प्रतिबध्नातु भारत,द्रौपदी बोली--भरतनन्दन! गुरुपुत्र तो मेरे लिये भी गुरुके ही समान हैं। मैं तो केवल पुत्रोंके वधका प्रतिशोध लेना चाहती थी, वह पा गयी। अब महाराज इस मणिको अपने मस्तकपर धारण करें

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca—devi! tasya sarvaṃ yaśo dhūliṃ gataṃ; kevalaṃ śarīram avaśiṣṭam. tasya maṇir api hṛtā, tena ca pṛthivyāṃ śastrāṇi nikṣiptāni. draupady uvāca—kevalam ānṛṇyam āptāsmi; guruputro guruḥ mama. putravadhasya pratikāraṃ prāptavatī; idānīṃ rājā etāṃ maṇiṃ śirasi pratibadhnātu, bhārata.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Permaisuri! Segala kemuliaannya telah menjadi debu; yang tinggal hanya tubuh. Permatanya telah dirampas, dan dia dipaksa mencampakkan senjata ke bumi.” Draupadī berkata: “Aku hanya terbebas daripada hutang dendam. Anak kepada guru, bagiku, sama seperti guru itu sendiri. Aku menuntut hanya pembalasan atas pembunuhan anak-anakku, dan aku telah memperolehnya. Kini biarlah raja, wahai keturunan Bharata, mengikat permata ini di atas kepalanya.”

Word by Word

द्रौपदीDraupadi

उवाचsaid

केवलम्only, merely

ऋण्यम्debt/obligation (what is owed)

आप्ताobtained, attained

अस्मिI am

गुरु-पुत्रःthe teacher's son

गुरुःa teacher; guru

ममof me; my

अथthen, now

एतम्this (one/thing)

मणिम्gem, jewel

राजाthe king

प्रतिबध्नातुlet (him) bind/fasten (on)

शिरसिon the head

भारतO Bharata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Draupadī

guruputra (son of the teacher)

rājā (the king)

maṇi (jewel)

śastrāṇi (weapons)

pṛthivī (earth)

Bhārata (dynastic epithet)

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?

Even after grievous loss, dharma can express itself as measured justice rather than limitless vengeance: Draupadī declares her moral debt discharged by requital for her sons, yet still honors the guru-relationship by treating the teacher’s son as worthy of reverence and by redirecting the jewel to the rightful king rather than clinging to further humiliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the offender has been utterly disgraced—his fame crushed, his jewel seized, and he is disarmed. Draupadī then states she sought only retribution for her sons’ killing and has obtained it; she asks the king to wear the seized jewel, emphasizing that the guru’s son remains like a guru to her and should not be subjected to further excess.