Shloka 28

अश्वत्थाम-शापः, परिक्षिद्भविष्यत्, मणि-न्यासः

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

Devanagari script

प्रयाणे वासुदेवस्य शमार्थमसितेक्षणे । यान्युक्तानि त्वया भीरु वाक्यानि मधुघातिनि

Transliteration

prayāṇe vāsudevasya śamārtham asitekṣaṇe | yāny uktāni tvayā bhīru vākyāni madhughātini

Translation

प्रयाणे वासुदेवस्य शमार्थमसितेक्षणे । यान्युक्तानि त्वया भीरु वाक्यानि मधुघातिनि ॥

Word by Word

प्रयाणेat the departure

वासुदेवस्यof Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

शमpacification, calming

अर्थम्for the sake/purpose

असितेक्षणेO dark-eyed one

यानिwhich (things)

उक्तानिsaid, spoken

त्वयाby you

भीरुO timid one

वाक्यानिwords, statements

मधुघातिनिO slayer of Madhu (Kṛṣṇa)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)

Madhu (as the slain demon, in the epithet Madhughātin)

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 foregrounds śama—peaceful settlement and restraint—as a valued dharmic aim even amid an unfolding war narrative, recalling counsel meant to prevent escalation and reduce harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator, Vaiśampāyana, begins to recall or cite earlier words spoken to or about Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) at the time of his departure on a peace-oriented mission, addressing a woman with epithets like “dark-eyed” and “timid,” and invoking Kṛṣṇa as “slayer of Madhu.”