FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.55

सूत उवाच अर्जुन: सहसाज्ञाय हरेर्हार्दमथासिना । मणिं जहार मूर्धन्यं द्विजस्य सहमूर्धजम् ॥ ५५ ॥
sūta uvāca
[soota uvaacha]
arjunaḥ sahasājñāya
[arjunah sahasaajnaaya]
harer hārdam athāsinā
[harer haardam athaasinaa]
maṇiṁ jahāra mūrdhanyaṁ
[manim jahaara moordhanyam]
dvijasya saha-mūrdhajam
[dvijasya saha-moordhajam]
Word-for-word
sūtaḥ — Sūta Gosvāmī uvāca — said arjunaḥ — Arjuna sahasā — just at that time ājñāya — knowing it hareḥ — of the Lord hārdam — motive atha — thus asinā — by the sword maṇim — the jewel jahāra — separated mūrdhanyam — on the head dvijasya — of the twice-born saha — with mūrdhajam — hairs.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sūta uvāca
sūtaḥ
Sūta Gosvāmī
uvāca
said
arjunaḥ sahasājñāya
arjunaḥ
Arjuna
sahasā
just at that time
ājñāya
knowing it
harer hārdam athāsinā
hareḥ
of the Lord
hārdam
motive
atha
thus
asinā
by the sword
maṇiṁ jahāra mūrdhanyaṁ
maṇim
the jewel
jahāra
separated
mūrdhanyam
on the head
dvijasya saha-mūrdhajam
dvijasya
of the twice-born
saha
with
mūrdhajam
hairs.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: Just then Arjuna could understand the motive of the Lord by His equivocal orders, and thus with his sword he severed both hair and jewel from the head of Aśvatthāmā.
Purport

Contradictory orders of different persons are impossible to carry out. Therefore a compromise was selected by Arjuna by his sharp intelligence, and he separated the jewel from the head of Aśvatthāmā. This was as good as cutting off his head, and yet his life was saved for all practical purposes. Here Aśvatthāmā is indicated as twice-born. Certainly he was twice-born, but he fell down from his position, and therefore he was properly punished.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Sūta said: Suddenly understanding Kṛṣṇa’s intention, Arjuna cut off the jewel on Aśvatthāmā’s head along with his hair.
Commentary

Understanding Kṛṣṇa’s intention (hārdam) Arjuna then acted. “I made the promise to cut off his head. Kṛṣṇa has said that I have to fulfill that promise. He has also said I should please Draupadī. Therefore I cannot cut off his head. It is not impossible. I should fulfill both directions. Therefore somehow I must do that.” This was what he discerned. He then cut off the jewel on his head (maṇiṁ mūrdhanyam) along with his hair. The jewel is situated on his head and thus represents his head. Thus it also means “head.” Therefore cutting off his jewel is cutting off his head. But in the literal sense, his head will not be cut off. Thus Aśvatthāmā was killed and not killed.

Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Arjuna understood the equivocal order and cut both hair and jewel from Aśvatthāmā's head. He found the middle path: punishment without execution. Wisdom sees the third option.
Reflection Questions
  • What 'either-or' am I stuck in that has a third option?
  • Where could a symbolic act do what literal violence cannot?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 7