Shloka 2

Aśvatthāmā’s Buddhi-Doctrine and Nocturnal Incursion Resolve (अश्वत्थाम्नः बुद्धिविचारः सौप्तिकसंकल्पश्च)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत सौप्तिकपर्वमें अश्वत्थामा और कृपाचार्यका संवादविषयक दूसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ,दह्यामानस्तु शोकेन प्रदीप्तेनाग्निना यथा । क्िरूरं मनस्तत: कृत्वा तावुभौ प्रत्यभाषत उसके हृदयमें शोककी आग प्रज्वलित हो उठी। वह उससे जलने लगा और अपने मनको कठोर बनाकर कृपाचार्य और कृतवर्मा दोनोंसे बोला--

Transliteration

dahyāmānas tu śokena pradīptenāgninā yathā | krūraṃ manas tataḥ kṛtvā tāv ubhau pratyabhāṣata ||

Translation

Terbakar oleh dukacita bagaikan disambar api yang menyala-nyala, Aśvatthāmā mengeraskan hatinya hingga menjadi kejam, lalu berbicara kepada kedua-duanya—Kṛpa dan Kṛtavarman.

Word by Word

दह्यमानःbeing burnt, burning (with grief)

तुbut/indeed

शोकेनby/with grief

प्रदीप्तेनkindled, blazing

अग्निनाby fire

यथाas/like

क्रूरम्cruel, harsh

मनःmind

ततःthen/thereupon

कृत्वाhaving made

तौthose two (them)

उभौboth

प्रत्यभाषतspoke to, addressed

Speaker

कृप उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)

Kṛtavarman

fire (agni) as simile

grief (śoka)

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 highlights how intense grief can transform into hardness and cruelty, warning that unchecked sorrow may become a catalyst for unethical action—especially in the volatile aftermath of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sauptika Parva setting, the speaker describes a figure (contextually Aśvatthāmā) burning with grief and, after hardening his mind, addressing Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman—an emotional pivot that precedes decisive, morally charged speech and action.