FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.39

तदसौ वध्यतां पाप आतताय्यात्मबन्धुहा । भर्तुश्च विप्रियं वीर कृतवान् कुलपांसन: ॥ ३९ ॥
tad asau vadhyatāṁ pāpa
[tad asau vadhyataam paapa]
ātatāyy ātma-bandhu-hā
[aatataayy aatma-bandhu-haa]
bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra
[bhartush cha vipriyam veera]
kṛtavān kula-pāṁsanaḥ
[kritavaan kula-paamsanah]
tat — therefore asau — this man vadhyatām — will be killed pāpaḥ — the sinner ātatāyī — assaulter ātma — own bandhu-hā — killer of sons bhartuḥ — of the master ca — also vipriyam — having not satisfied vīra — O warrior kṛtavān — one who has done it kula-pāṁsanaḥ — the burnt remnants of the family.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tad asau vadhyatāṁ pāpa
tat
therefore
asau
this man
vadhyatām
will be killed
pāpaḥ
the sinner
ātatāyy ātma-bandhu-hā
ātatāyī
assaulter
ātma
own
bandhu-hā
killer of sons
bhartuś ca vipriyaṁ vīra
bhartuḥ
of the master
ca
also
vipriyam
having not satisfied
vīra
O warrior
kṛtavān kula-pāṁsanaḥ
kṛtavān
one who has done it
kula-pāṁsanaḥ
the burnt remnants of the family.
This man is an assassin and murderer of your own family members. Not only that, but he has also dissatisfied his master. He is but the burnt remnants of his family. Kill him immediately.

The son of Droṇācārya is condemned here as the burnt remnants of his family. The good name of Droṇācārya was very much respected. Although he joined the enemy camp, the Pāṇḍavas held him always in respect, and Arjuna saluted him before beginning the fight. There was nothing wrong in that way. But the son of Droṇācārya degraded himself by committing acts which are never done by the dvijas, or the twice-born higher castes. Aśvatthāmā, the son of Droṇācārya, committed murder by killing the five sleeping sons of Draupadī, by which he dissatisfied his master Duryodhana, who never approved of the heinous act of killing the five sleeping sons of the Pāṇḍavas. This means that Aśvatthāmā became an assaulter of Arjuna’s own family members, and thus he was liable to be punished by him. In the śāstras, he who attacks without notice or kills from behind or sets fire to another’s house or kidnaps one’s wife is condemned to death. Kṛṣṇa reminded Arjuna of these facts so that he might take notice of them and do the needful.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
I have heard that you promised to Draupadī “O noble woman! I will present you with the head of the killer of your sons.”
Commentary

O warrior! This sinner, aggressor, killer of relatives, disgrace to his family, who has displeased Duryodhana, should be killed.

Aśvatthāmā has betrayed family, dissatisfied his master, and is the burnt remnant of his line — kill him. Sometimes someone has so thoroughly cut their own roots that even mercy can't grow them back.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I tied to someone whose self-destruction I cannot undo?
  • What does it mean to release, not rescue, a fallen relationship?
📝 My note

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