Shloka 40

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थामा कृपश्चैव कृतवर्मा च सात्वत: । अपृच्छन क्षत्रियांस्तत्र क्व नु दुर्योधनो गत:

Transliteration

aśvatthāmā kṛpaś caiva kṛtavarmā ca sātvatāḥ | apṛcchan kṣatriyāṁs tatra kva nu duryodhano gataḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：阿湿婆他摩、克利波与萨特瓦塔族的克利多跋摩，向那里的刹帝利武士询问道：“都利约陀那究竟去了哪里？”

Word by Word

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

• कृपः: Kripa
• कृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कृतवर्मा: Kritavarman
• कृतवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सात्वतः: the Satvata (i.e., Kritavarman of the Satvata clan)
• सात्वतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपृच्छन्: asked/inquired
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• क्षत्रियान्: the Kshatriyas/warriors
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• नु: indeed/then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गतः: gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Aśvatthāmā
• Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)
• Kṛtavarmā
• Sātvata (lineage/clan)
• Kṣatriyas (warriors)
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid chaos, people cling to leadership and factional loyalty; the verse subtly highlights how dependence on a commander persists even when the moral order (dharma) has been strained by war and ambition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpa, and Kṛtavarmā are searching for Duryodhana by questioning the kṣatriya fighters present, trying to locate where their leader has gone.