Shloka 15

Devanagari script

द्रौणिश्वुकोप पार्थाय कृष्णाय च विशेषतः । स तु यत्तो रथे स्थित्वा वार्युपस्पृश्य वीर्यवान्‌

Transliteration

drauṇiśv-ukopa pārthāya kṛṣṇāya ca viśeṣataḥ | sa tu yatto rathe sthitvā vāry upaspṛśya vīryavān ||

Translation

ద్రోణిపుత్రుడు అశ్వత్థాముడు పార్థునిపై, ముఖ్యంగా కృష్ణునిపై కోపంతో రగిలిపోయాడు; అయినా ఆ వీర్యవంతుడు తనను నియంత్రించుకొని రథంపై నిలిచి జలస్పర్శ (ఆచమనం) చేశాడు।

Word by Word

द्रौणिःDrauni (Aśvatthāman)

श्वdog

कोपःanger

पार्थायto Pārtha (Arjuna)

कृष्णायto Kṛṣṇa

चand

विशेषतःespecially

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

यत्तःintent, prepared

रथेin/on the chariot

स्थित्वाhaving stood

वारिwater

उपस्पृश्यhaving sipped/touched (water) for purification

वीर्यवान्mighty, valorous

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

द

द्रौणि / अश्वत्थामन् (Drauṇi / Aśvatthāman)

प

पार्थ / अर्जुन (Pārtha / Arjuna)

क

कृष्ण (Kṛṣṇa)

र

रथ (chariot)

व

वारि (water)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid battlefield fury, a warrior is expected to maintain self-control and act with deliberation; the gesture of touching water (upaspṛśya) signals composed readiness and adherence to customary discipline rather than impulsive violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāman becomes angry at Arjuna and especially at Kṛṣṇa, but he restrains himself, stands on his chariot, and performs a brief water-touching rite (ācamana-like purification) as he prepares for the next action in the fight.