Shloka 17

Adhyāya 128 — Proposal to Restrain Keśava; Sātyaki’s Warning and Vidura–Dhṛtarāṣṭra Counsel

Devanagari script

स मातुर्वचनाकाडुशक्षी प्रविवेश पुन: सभाम्‌ । अभिताम्रेक्षण: क्रोधान्नि:श्वसन्निव पन्नग:

Transliteration

sa mātur vacanākāṅkṣī praviveśa punaḥ sabhām | abhitāmrīkṣaṇaḥ krodhān niḥśvasann iva pannagaḥ ||

Translation

Muốn nghe lời mẫu thân, hắn lại bước vào nghị đường. Mắt hắn đỏ ánh đồng vì cơn giận, và hắn thở dài, rít lên như rắn—một hình ảnh cho thấy sân hận làm méo mó phán đoán, ngay cả khi người ta đến gần lời khuyên vốn để kiềm chế nó.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मातुः: of (his) mother
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• वचनात्: from/at (her) words; because of the words
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• उदशक्षी: with upraised/expanded eyes (glancing upward)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदशक्षी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रविवेश: entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + विश्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• सभाम्: the assembly hall
• सभाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिताम्रेक्षणः: whose eyes were reddish all around
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिताम्रेक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रोधात्: from anger; due to anger
• क्रोधात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• निःश्वसन्: breathing hard; hissing
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + श्वस्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पन्नगः: a serpent
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Duryodhana's mother (Gāndhārī)
• sabhā (assembly hall)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger visibly and inwardly transforms a person—clouding discernment—yet also shows the ethical importance of seeking counsel (especially maternal or elder guidance) even when one is agitated.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaishampayana narrates that Duryodhana, furious and breathing harshly like a serpent, re-enters the royal assembly because he wishes to hear what his mother has to say.