Shloka 31

Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थाम्न: सनामान हत्वा नागं सुदुर्मते

Transliteration

aśvatthāmnaḥ sanāmānaṃ hatvā nāgaṃ sudurmate

Translation

Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Matapos patayin ang elepanteng nagngangalang Aśvatthāman, O masamang-isip, ipinahayag nila iyon, sinamantala ang pagkakapareho ng pangalan upang manlinlang—isang gawaing dumudungis sa linaw ng dharma sa sandaling iyon, kahit sa gitna ng bigat ng digmaan.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थाम्नः: of Ashvatthaman
• अश्वत्थाम्नः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सनामानम्: Sanaaman (proper name)
• सनामानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनामन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• नागम्: the serpent / Nāga
• नागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुदुर्मते: O very evil-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदुर्मति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāman (name invoked)
• the elephant named Aśvatthāman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, manipulating truth through equivocation (using a shared name to create a false belief) raises serious ethical fault-lines; dharma is tested not only by actions but by intention and speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrative refers to the killing of an elephant bearing the name ‘Aśvatthāman’ and the strategic use of that fact to mislead others who would assume it meant the warrior Aśvatthāman—an instance of wartime deception centered on a namesake.