Shloka 1

Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)

Devanagari script

न्न्य्स्य््स््रनास्स हज नी नप्प्स सप्तमो<्ध्याय: अश्वत्थामाद्वारा शिवकी स्तुति

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | evaṁ sañcintayitvā tu droṇaputro viśāmpate | avatīrya rathopasthād deveśaṁ praṇataḥ sthitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: «Ôi chúa tể của muôn dân (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), suy ngẫm như vậy, Aśvatthāmā—con trai của Droṇa—bước xuống khỏi chỗ ngồi trên chiến xa. Cúi mình đảnh lễ, chàng đứng trước Đấng Chúa Tể của chư thiên (Śiva/Mahādeva), sẵn sàng dâng lời tán tụng.»

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• संचिन्तयित्वा: having reflected/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-चिन्त्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• द्रोणपुत्रः: Drona's son (Ashvatthaman)
• द्रोणपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोणपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अवतीर्य: having descended
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• रथोपस्थात्: from the seat/platform of the chariot
• रथोपस्थात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथोपस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• देवेशम्: the Lord of gods
• देवेशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रणतः: bowed down, having paid obeisance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थितः: stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by viśāmpate)
• Droṇa
• Aśvatthāmā
• Śiva (Deveśa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Before undertaking a decisive (and morally charged) course of action, one should pause for reflection and acknowledge a higher moral and spiritual authority; the verse frames Aśvatthāmā’s next steps as preceded by deliberation and an act of devotion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, after thinking over his situation, gets down from his chariot and stands with folded reverence before Śiva, initiating a hymn of praise that will set the stage for divine intervention in the episode.