तस्माद् अनर्हम् अश्लीलम् अप्रियं द्रौणिम् उक्तवान् ॥
मान्यम् आचार्यतनयं रूक्षं कापुरुषो यथा ॥
एवम् उक्तः श्वसन् क्रोधान् महेष्वासतमो नृप ॥
पार्थेन परुषं वाक्यं सर्वमर्मघ्नया गिरा ॥
द्रौणिश् चुकोप पार्थाय कृष्णाय च विशेषतः ॥
tasmād anarham aślīlam apriyaṃ drauṇim uktavān ||
mānyam ācāryatanayaṃ rūkṣaṃ kāpuruṣo yathā ||
evam uktaḥ śvasan krodhān maheṣvāsatamo nṛpa ||
pārthena paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ sarvamarmaghnayā girā ||
drauṇiś cukopa pārthāya kṛṣṇāya ca viśeṣataḥ ||
Therefore he spoke unworthy, unseemly, unpleasant words to Drauni -- to the venerable son of the Acharya, harshly, as a base man might. Thus addressed, breathing hard with rage, the greatest of great archers, O king -- by Partha's harsh word, in speech that struck at every vital point -- Drauni grew furious at Partha, and at Krishna especially.
4313b746528d · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
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A harsh word breeds an answering wrath -- directed above all at Krishna, in whom Ashvatthaman perceives the cause of his misfortunes. It is telling that offense here too spreads in circles: one harshness begets another. The verse teaches that a rough word, even one wrung out by grief, never goes without an echo; and strife, once begun in one man's pain, kindles another's fury -- so evil multiplies itself through speech.