Mahabharata · 1.146.20–21
॥
Devanāgarī
तौ विहीनौ मया बालौ त्वया चैव ममात्मजौ ॥
विनश्येतां न संदेहो मत्स्याव् इव जलक्षये ॥
त्रितयं सर्वथाप्य् एवं विनशिष्यत्य् असंशयम् ॥
त्वया विहीनं तस्मात् त्वं मां परित्यक्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tau vihīnau mayā bālau tvayā caiva mamātmajau ||
vinaśyetāṃ na saṃdeho matsyāv iva jalakṣaye ||
tritayaṃ sarvathāpy evaṃ vinaśiṣyaty asaṃśayam ||
tvayā vihīnaṃ tasmāt tvaṃ māṃ parityaktum arhasi ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तौ विहीनौ मया बालौ त्वया च एव मम आत्मजौtau vihīnau mayā bālau tvayā ca eva mama ātmajau"those two children, deprived of me and of you, my own offspring,
विनश्येतां न संदेहः मत्स्यौ इव जलक्षयेvinaśyetāṃ na saṃdehaḥ matsyau iva jalakṣayewill perish, without doubt, like two fish when the water dries up;
त्रितयं सर्वथा अपि एवं विनशिष्यति असंशयम्tritayaṃ sarvathā api evaṃ vinaśiṣyati asaṃśayamthus all three will perish in every way, beyond doubt,
त्वया विहीनं तस्मात् त्वं मां परित्यक्तुम् अर्हसिtvayā vihīnaṃ tasmāt tvaṃ māṃ parityaktum arhasideprived of you; therefore you should let me go;
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममात्मजौmamātmajauoriginal form "mamātmajau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संदेहोsaṃdehooriginal form "saṃdeho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मत्स्याव्matsyāvoriginal form "matsyāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वथाप्य्sarvathāpyoriginal form "sarvathāpy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विनशिष्यत्य्vinaśiṣyatyoriginal form "vinaśiṣyaty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Those two children, deprived of both me and you, my own offspring, will perish, without doubt, like two fish when the water dries up. Thus all three will perish in every way without you, without doubt; therefore you should let me go."
Version
7b4be91639aa · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the wife brings her argument to its irresistible conclusion: without the father the whole family perishes. Telling is the comparison of the children to fish in drying water: the father is to the family what water is to fish, the very element of their life. Here is the recognition that, in the established order, the protection and support of the household rest upon the husband: his loss is more ruinous than any other. Thus the text shows the final link of her reasoning: if one of the two must fall, let it be she, without whom the family will survive, and not he, without whom all will perish; and this relentless logic of love crowns her self-sacrifice.