In plain words
Then, it is said, Duryodhana died in peace. Arjuna, consoling Draupadī, who was weeping in grief for her sons: ‘In a moment I will cut off Aśvatthāma's head and throw it down at your feet. Set your foot on it, and then you shall bathe,’ he said, and at once he set out from there. He caught Aśvatthāma and brought him back. Just as he was about to raise his sword to cut off the head before her feet, Draupadī looked at Aśvatthāma. How hard it must be for a mother who has lost five sons! Yet she says, ‘Ah, Aśvatthāma!
All our men long ago learnt from Droṇācārya the arts of loosing and withdrawing the arrow and every skill of arms; you are Droṇa himself in the form of his son; without a trace of compassion in your heart, was it right to cut down your pupils' sons?
Your father was my husbands' teacher. You are our children's teacher. How could your hands move to kill these children, revered sir!’ See with what forbearance she spoke!
They did not come in fury; they were not on the battlefield bearing weapons; they did you not the least wrong; in the pride of your strength, in the dark, these gentle little ones, who knew nothing of the deeds of war, asleep: alas, how could your hands move to kill them!
So she pleads. Seeing this, Bhīma
She is not angry that he seized her sons and killed them; the child-killer, ‘let him go,’ she says, foolish Draupadī! Is this fellow a brahmin?
Her sons are gone and she has lost her mind, poor thing. She says to let a wicked man like this go, poor thing.
Why let him go? Kill this fellow here! If you will not kill him, With a blow of my fist I will smash his head to pieces; watch, all of you!
he said. That jewel among good women stood in Bhīma's way. For a woman, the sāttvika guṇa must be the chief quality. Next comes tamo-guṇa: modesty, a sense of shame, shyness. When need arises, she must be ready even for sacrifice. That is rajo-guṇa. That must come last.
When Arjuna said, ‘Killing Aśvatthāma is not good, you say: will you keep your husband's vow from being fulfilled? Will you bring on him the shame of having broken his word?’, and was answered, ‘Cut off his locks and push him out from our door; he will be as one who is dead,’ then
Indra's son, praised by all the world, the great hero, with his fearsome sword cut off Aśvatthāma's locks, and the great jewel within his crest he took, so that his fame might shine for ever; the bonds of his many ropes he loosed in good faith, and thrust him out to leave the ground of the camp.