Shloka 56
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
स क्रूरां मतिमास्थाय विनिश्ित्य मुहुर्मुहु:
sa krūrāṃ matim āsthāya viniścitya muhur muhuḥ
அவன் கொடூரமான எண்ணத்தை ஏற்று, மீண்டும் மீண்டும் சிந்தித்து, தன் முடிவை உறுதிப்படுத்தினான்।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how repeated rumination can harden a person into a fixed, cruel intention. Ethically, it warns that when the mind repeatedly returns to anger or revenge, deliberation may become a tool for justifying wrongdoing rather than restraining it.
Sañjaya narrates that a key figure (contextually, the one about to initiate the Sauptika episode) adopts a harsh plan and, after thinking it over repeatedly, settles on that decision—foreshadowing the impending night-time atrocity.