Mahabharata · 1.153.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
स तत्राकथयद् विप्रः कथान्ते जनमेजय ॥
पाञ्चालेष्व् अद्भुताकारं याज्ञसेन्याः स्वयंवरम् ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य चोत्पत्तिम् उत्पत्तिं च शिखण्डिनः ॥
अयोनिजत्वं कृष्णाया द्रुपदस्य महामखे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tatrākathayad vipraḥ kathānte janamejaya ||
pāñcāleṣv adbhutākāraṃ yājñasenyāḥ svayaṃvaram ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnasya cotpattim utpattiṃ ca śikhaṇḍinaḥ ||
ayonijatvaṃ kṛṣṇāyā drupadasya mahāmakhe ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः तत्र अकथयत् विप्रः कथान्ते जनमेजयsaḥ tatra akathayat vipraḥ kathānte janamejayaThere, at the end of the tales, that vipra told, O Janamejaya,
पाञ्चालेषु अद्भुताकारं याज्ञसेन्याः स्वयंवरम्pāñcāleṣu adbhutākāraṃ yājñasenyāḥ svayaṃvaramof the wondrous-seeming svayamvara of Yajnaseni [Draupadi] among the Panchalas,
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य च उत्पत्तिम् उत्पत्तिं च शिखण्डिनःdhṛṣṭadyumnasya ca utpattim utpattiṃ ca śikhaṇḍinaḥand of the birth of Dhrishtadyumna, and of the birth of Shikhandin,
अयोनिजत्वं कृष्णायाः द्रुपदस्य महामखेayonijatvaṃ kṛṣṇāyāḥ drupadasya mahāmakheand of the not-born-from-a-womb [birth] of Krishna [Draupadi] at the great sacrifice of Drupada;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्राकथयद्tatrākathayadoriginal form "tatrākathayad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पाञ्चालेष्व्pāñcāleṣvoriginal form "pāñcāleṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चोत्पत्तिम्cotpattimoriginal form "cotpattim", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृष्णायाkṛṣṇāyāoriginal form "kṛṣṇāyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"At the end of the tales, that vipra told, O Janamejaya, of the wondrous svayamvara of Yajnaseni among the Panchalas, of the birth of Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandin, and of the not-born-from-a-womb birth of Krishna [Draupadi] at the great sacrifice of Drupada."
Version
b2f4fc845e88 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the mystery of Draupadi's birth is first uncovered. Significant is the word 'not from a womb' (ayonija): Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna appeared not by ordinary birth but from the sacrificial fire — a sign that they descend with a special purpose. In this is a mark of divine descent: those born not of flesh but from the fire of sacrifice come into the world for the great work of providence. It is significant that the news of them sounds as 'wondrous,' astonishing the listeners. Thus the scripture shows that extraordinary beings enter the story; and their marvelous origin foreshadows their role in the coming fate of the line of Bharata.