Shloka 55
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
Devanagari script
इत्येवं निश्चयं चक्रे सुप्तानां निशि मारणे
Transliteration
ity evaṁ niścayaṁ cakre suptānāṁ niśi māraṇe
Translation
یوں اُس نے رات کے اندھیرے میں سوئے ہوئے لوگوں کو قتل کرنے کا پختہ ارادہ کر لیا۔
Word by Word
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
एवम्in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
निश्चयम्decision, resolve
निश्चयम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिश्चय
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
चक्रेmade, formed
चक्रे:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPerfect (Paroksha/लिट्), Third, Singular, Atmanepada
सुप्तानाम्of (those) sleeping
सुप्तानाम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त
FormMasculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural
निशिat night
निशि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
मारणेin killing, in the act of slaying
मारणे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमारण
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intention and method matter ethically: deciding to kill sleeping people at night marks a deliberate move away from righteous warfare toward adharma, showing how vengeance can override moral restraint.
Sañjaya reports that a decisive plan has been made to carry out killings at night against those who are asleep—setting the stage for the infamous nocturnal slaughter that characterizes the Sauptika episode.