Mahabharata · 1.144.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
व्यास उवाच
मयेदं मनसा पूर्वं विदितं भरतर्षभाः ॥
यथा स्थितैर् अधर्मेण धार्तराष्ट्रैर् विवासिताः ॥
तद् विदित्वास्मि संप्राप्तश् चिकीर्षुः परमं हितम् ॥
न विषादो ऽत्र कर्तव्यः सर्वम् एतत् सुखाय वः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vyāsa uvāca
mayedaṃ manasā pūrvaṃ viditaṃ bharatarṣabhāḥ ||
yathā sthitair adharmeṇa dhārtarāṣṭrair vivāsitāḥ ||
tad viditvāsmi saṃprāptaś cikīrṣuḥ paramaṃ hitam ||
na viṣādo 'tra kartavyaḥ sarvam etat sukhāya vaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मया इदं मनसा पूर्वं विदितं भरतर्षभाःmayā idaṃ manasā pūrvaṃ viditaṃ bharatarṣabhāḥ'This was known to me in mind before, O bulls of the Bharatas,
यथा स्थितैः अधर्मेण धार्तराष्ट्रैः विवासिताःyathā sthitaiḥ adharmeṇa dhārtarāṣṭraiḥ vivāsitāḥhow you were banished by the Dhartarashtras, established in unrighteousness;
तत् विदित्वा अस्मि संप्राप्तः चिकीर्षुः परमं हितम्tat viditvā asmi saṃprāptaḥ cikīrṣuḥ paramaṃ hitamknowing that, I have come, wishing to do [you] the highest good;
न विषादः अत्र कर्तव्यः सर्वम् एतत् सुखाय वःna viṣādaḥ atra kartavyaḥ sarvam etat sukhāya vaḥyou must not despair here: all this is for your happiness'
व्यासvyāsaoriginal form "vyāsa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मयेदंmayedaṃoriginal form "mayedaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थितैर्sthitairoriginal form "sthitair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धार्तराष्ट्रैर्dhārtarāṣṭrairoriginal form "dhārtarāṣṭrair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विदित्वास्मिviditvāsmioriginal form "viditvāsmi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संप्राप्तश्saṃprāptaśoriginal form "saṃprāptaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विषादोviṣādooriginal form "viṣādo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽत्र'traoriginal form "'tra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Vyasa said: 'This I knew in mind beforehand, O bulls among the Bharatas — how you were banished by the Dhartarashtras, established in unrighteousness. Knowing that, I have come, wishing to do the highest good; you must not despair here: all this is for your happiness.'
Version
061b51954b50 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the sage consoles the afflicted with the light of providence. His foreknowledge is telling: Vyasa knew of their misfortune 'in mind beforehand' and came himself — the wise see what is hidden and hasten to the aid of the persecuted. Telling too is his word: 'all this is for your happiness' — what now seems calamity is, in the design of providence, turned to good. Herein lies the comfort of faith: for the devoted, even sorrows are a mercy leading to the highest good. It is telling that the unrighteousness of the Dhartarashtras is named plainly, yet it is not the final word: above the wrongdoing of men stands a benevolent providence. Thus the text reveals that despair has no place where providence is at work, turning evil into good.