Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामा महाभाग: कृतवर्मा च सात्वत:

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā mahābhāgaḥ kṛtavarmā ca sātvatāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Aśvatthāmā yang termasyhur, dan Kṛtavarmā dari keturunan Sātvata, juga berada di sana—disebut sebagai pelaku utama dalam rentetan pascaperang, ketika kesetiaan peribadi dan sisa-sisa keganasan terus membentuk pilihan serta akibatnya.

Word by Word

अश्वत्थामाAshvatthaman

महाभागःthe greatly fortunate/noble one

कृतवर्माKritavarman

चand

सात्वतःthe Sātvata (i.e., a Vrishni/Yadava; here: Kritavarman)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Aśvatthāmā

Kṛtavarmā

Sātvata (clan)

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?

Though the line is primarily identificatory, it points to a recurring Mahābhārata ethical concern: eminent warriors, bound by allegiance and past vows, continue to drive events even after decisive battles—showing how choices made in war generate moral and practical consequences that persist beyond the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya names Aśvatthāmā and Kṛtavarmā (a Sātvata/Yādava) as present/active figures in the episode being recounted in Śalya Parva, setting up their role in the subsequent actions and decisions in the war’s late-stage developments.