Shloka 20

अश्वत्थाम-शापः, परिक्षिद्भविष्यत्, मणि-न्यासः

Aśvatthāman’s Curse, Parikṣit’s Future, and the Mani’s Restitution

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच प्रदायाथ मर्णिं द्रौणि: पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्‌ । जगाम विमनास्तेषां सर्वेषां पश्यतां वनम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca pradāyātha maṇiṁ drauṇiḥ pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām | jagāma vimanās teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ paśyatāṁ vanam ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：随后，德罗那之子德罗尼将那宝珠交予心怀伟大的般度诸子；他心神沮丧，在众人注视之下，转身走入森林。

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• प्रदाय: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• मणिं: the jewel
• मणिं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रौणिः: Drauṇi (Aśvatthāman)
• द्रौणिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas / to the Pāṇḍavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled (ones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• जगाम: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विमनाः: downcast, dejected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• पश्यताम्: while (they were) seeing / in the presence of (them) watching
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Drauṇi (Aśvatthāmā)
• Pāṇḍavas
• the jewel (maṇi)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when punishment is mitigated, wrongdoing can culminate in moral defeat: restitution may be extracted, yet the wrongdoer departs burdened by shame and loss of honor, highlighting that adharma carries consequences beyond physical retribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aśvatthāmā (Drauṇi), after surrendering his jewel to the Pāṇḍavas, leaves for the forest in a dejected state, with the Pāṇḍavas watching—marking his withdrawal from the human sphere after the night’s atrocities.