Mahabharata 7.161.3 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 161, Shloka 3

अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa

Chapter 161

Devanagari script

जैसे सिंह मतवाले हाथीपर झपटता है, उसी प्रकार अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए द्रोणकुमार अश्व॒ृत्थामाने कुरुराज दुर्योधनके देखते-देखते कर्णपर आक्रमण किया ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | yathā siṃho matavāle hastini jhaṭpaty evaṃ krodhasaṃpūrṇo droṇaputro ’śvatthāmā kururājaṃ duryodhanaṃ paśyata eva karṇam abhyadravat || aśvatthāmovāca | yad arjunaguṇāṃs tathyān kīrtayānaṃ narādhama | śūraṃ dveṣāt sudurduddhe tvaṃ bhartsayasi mātulam ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Như sư tử phóng mình vồ con voi đang cuồng nộ, Aśvatthāmā—con trai của Droṇa, đầy lửa giận—đã lao tới tấn công Karṇa ngay trước mắt vua Kuru Duryodhana. Aśvatthāmā nói: “Hỡi kẻ hèn mạt, hỡi kẻ trí tối tăm! Vì sao ngươi vì lòng thù hận mà mắng nhiếc cậu bên ngoại của ta—một dũng sĩ chân chính, bậc cung thủ bậc nhất—khi người chỉ đang ca ngợi những đức tính chân thực của Arjuna? Điều gì khiến ngươi, trong kiêu mạn, khoe khoang dũng lực của mình và quở trách người như thể trong cuộc chiến này chẳng ai đáng được coi trọng?”

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थामा: Ashvatthama
• अश्वत्थामा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थामन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• यत्: that/whereas (since)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• अर्जुन: of Arjuna
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गुणान्: qualities
• गुणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तथ्यान्: true, factual
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथ्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कीर्तयन्: praising, recounting
• कीर्तयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नराधम: O worst of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शूरम्: a hero, brave (man)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्वेषात्: from hatred, out of spite
• द्वेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• भर्त्ससि: rebuke, scold
• Type: Verb
• Root: भर्त्स्
• Form: Present, 2nd, Singular

• अपसि: away, off
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अप

• मातुलम्: maternal uncle
• मातुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāmā
• Droṇa
• Duryodhana
• Karṇa
• Arjuna
• Kuru (kingdom/lineage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the ethical danger of envy-driven speech: hatred and pride can make one insult even a worthy person who speaks truthfully. It also shows how uncontrolled anger escalates conflict, turning rivalry into reckless violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Aśvatthāmā, enraged, charging at Karṇa in Duryodhana’s presence. Aśvatthāmā then confronts Duryodhana, questioning why he scolds Aśvatthāmā’s maternal uncle for truthfully praising Arjuna’s real merits.