Mahabharata · 1.147.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
अनाथा कृपणा बाला यत्रक्वचनगामिनी ॥
भविष्यामि त्वया तात विहीना कृपणा बत ॥
अथवाहं करिष्यामि कुलस्यास्य विमोक्षणम् ॥
फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
anāthā kṛpaṇā bālā yatrakvacanagāminī ||
bhaviṣyāmi tvayā tāta vihīnā kṛpaṇā bata ||
athavāhaṃ kariṣyāmi kulasyāsya vimokṣaṇam ||
phalasaṃsthā bhaviṣyāmi kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अनाथा कृपणा बाला यत्रक्वचनगामिनीanāthā kṛpaṇā bālā yatrakvacanagāminī"helpless, pitiable, a child [driven] wherever fate takes,
भविष्यामि त्वया तात विहीना कृपणा बतbhaviṣyāmi tvayā tāta vihīnā kṛpaṇā bataI shall become, O father, bereft of you — pitiable, alas!
अथवा अहम् करिष्यामि कुलस्य अस्य विमोक्षणम्athavā aham kariṣyāmi kulasya asya vimokṣaṇamor [rather] I shall accomplish the deliverance of this family,
फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्phalasaṃsthā bhaviṣyāmi kṛtvā karma suduṣkaramI shall become 'established in the fruit' [= one who has attained the goal], having performed a most difficult deed;
अथवाहंathavāhaṃoriginal form "athavāhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुलस्यास्यkulasyāsyaoriginal form "kulasyāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Helpless, pitiable, a child driven wherever fate takes, I shall become, O father, bereft of you — pitiable, alas! Or rather, I shall accomplish the deliverance of this family and, having performed a most difficult deed, become 'established in the fruit' [= one who has attained the goal]."
Version
128c2599adbc · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:09:57 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the daughter sets two futures side by side and chooses the more worthy one. The contrast is striking: on one hand, an aimless, pitiable life as an orphan driven 'wherever fate takes'; on the other, a life crowned by the feat of saving the family. The meaning of life, as this choice reveals, lies not in its length but in the fruit it bears: a pitiable long life is worse than a short one given to a good deed. The phrase 'established in the fruit' is striking: through sacrifice she will attain the goal of existence. Thus the verse shows that the maiden chooses not to survive but to fulfill herself; and in this choice lies a wisdom that values not mere life, but its worthy completion.