Mahabharata · 1.158.45–46
॥
Devanāgarī
गन्धर्वजानाम् अश्वानाम् अहं पुरुषसत्तम ॥
भ्रातृभ्यस् तव पञ्चभ्यः पृथग् दाता शतं शतम् ॥
देवगन्धर्ववाहास् ते दिव्यगन्धा मनोगमाः ॥
क्षीणाः क्षीणा भवन्त्य् एते न हीयन्ते च रंहसः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
gandharvajānām aśvānām ahaṃ puruṣasattama ||
bhrātṛbhyas tava pañcabhyaḥ pṛthag dātā śataṃ śatam ||
devagandharvavāhās te divyagandhā manogamāḥ ||
kṣīṇāḥ kṣīṇā bhavanty ete na hīyante ca raṃhasaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
गन्धर्वजानाम् अश्वानाम् अहं पुरुषसत्तमgandharvajānām aśvānām ahaṃ puruṣasattamaof the gandharva-born horses, I, O best of men,
भ्रातृभ्यः तव पञ्चभ्यः पृथग् दाता शतं शतम्bhrātṛbhyaḥ tava pañcabhyaḥ pṛthag dātā śataṃ śatamwill give to your five brothers a hundred each, separately;
देवगन्धर्ववाहाः ते दिव्यगन्धाः मनोगमाःdevagandharvavāhāḥ te divyagandhāḥ manogamāḥthose [horses] are the carriers of gods and gandharvas, of divine fragrance, [swift] as thought,
क्षीणाः क्षीणाः भवन्ति एते न हीयन्ते च रंहसःkṣīṇāḥ kṣīṇāḥ bhavanti ete na hīyante ca raṃhasaḥhowever much they waste away, they do not lose their speed;
भ्रातृभ्यस्bhrātṛbhyasoriginal form "bhrātṛbhyas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवगन्धर्ववाहास्devagandharvavāhāsoriginal form "devagandharvavāhās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दिव्यगन्धाdivyagandhāoriginal form "divyagandhā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षीणाkṣīṇāoriginal form "kṣīṇā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवन्त्य्bhavantyoriginal form "bhavanty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
'Of the gandharva-born horses, I, O best of men, will give a hundred each, separately, to your five brothers. Those horses are the carriers of gods and gandharvas, of divine fragrance, swift as thought; however much they may waste away, they never lose their speed.'
Version
35d80b16a263 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here friendship is sealed with a generous gift. It is telling that the gandharva gives horses 'separately' to all five brothers: the gift is directed toward the whole family, not to one alone. Telling, too, is the horses' quality — an unfailing swiftness: they are an image of strength that does not diminish. Here it is seen that true friendship is generous and impartial. Thus scripture shows how recent enmity is transformed into an exchange of gifts; and the gandharva, though defeated, becomes a benefactor of the whole house of the Pandavas.