Shloka 20

अश्वत्थाम-शापः, परिक्षिद्भविष्यत्, मणि-न्यासः

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच प्रदायाथ मर्णिं द्रौणि: पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्‌ । जगाम विमनास्तेषां सर्वेषां पश्यतां वनम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca pradāyātha maṇiṁ drauṇiḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām | jagāma vimanās teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ paśyatāṁ vanam ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— “అప్పుడు ద్రోణిపుత్రుడు మహాత్ములైన పాండవులకు ఆ మణిని అప్పగించి, అందరూ చూస్తుండగా మనసు దిగులుతో అడవికి వెళ్లిపోయాడు.”

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

प्रदायhaving given

अथthen

मणिंthe jewel

द्रौणिःDrauṇi (Aśvatthāman)

पाण्डवानाम्of the Pāṇḍavas / to the Pāṇḍavas

महात्मनाम्of the great-souled (ones)

जगामwent

विमनाःdowncast, dejected

तेषाम्of them

सर्वेषाम्of all

पश्यताम्while (they were) seeing / in the presence of (them) watching

वनम्to the forest

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)

Pāṇḍavas

the jewel (maṇi)

forest (vana)

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?

Even when punishment is mitigated, wrongdoing can culminate in moral defeat: restitution may be extracted, yet the wrongdoer departs burdened by shame and loss of honor, highlighting that adharma carries consequences beyond physical retribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi), after surrendering his jewel to the Pāṇḍavas, leaves for the forest in a dejected state, with the Pāṇḍavas watching—marking his withdrawal from the human sphere after the night’s atrocities.