Mahabharata · 1.159.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
सो ऽहं त्वयेह विजितः संख्ये तापत्यवर्धन ॥
येन तेनेह विधिना कीर्त्यमानं निबोध मे ॥
ब्रह्मचर्यं परो धर्मः स चापि नियतस् त्वयि ॥
यस्मात् तस्माद् अहं पार्थ रणे ऽस्मिन् विजितस् त्वया ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
so 'haṃ tvayeha vijitaḥ saṃkhye tāpatyavardhana ||
yena teneha vidhinā kīrtyamānaṃ nibodha me ||
brahmacaryaṃ paro dharmaḥ sa cāpi niyatas tvayi ||
yasmāt tasmād ahaṃ pārtha raṇe 'smin vijitas tvayā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः अहम् त्वया इह विजितः संख्ये तापत्यवर्धनsaḥ aham tvayā iha vijitaḥ saṃkhye tāpatyavardhana"and I have been vanquished by you here in battle, O increaser of the line of Tapati;
येन तेन इह विधिना कीर्त्यमानं निबोध मेyena tena iha vidhinā kīrtyamānaṃ nibodha mehear from me in what manner this is so, as I shall tell you:
ब्रह्मचर्यं परः धर्मः सः च अपि नियतः त्वयिbrahmacaryaṃ paraḥ dharmaḥ saḥ ca api niyataḥ tvayibrahmacharya is the highest dharma, and it is established in you;
यस्मात् तस्मात् अहं पार्थ रणे अस्मिन् विजितः त्वयाyasmāt tasmāt ahaṃ pārtha raṇe asmin vijitaḥ tvayāfor that reason, O Partha, I have been vanquished by you in this battle;
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽहं'haṃoriginal form "'haṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वयेहtvayehaoriginal form "tvayeha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेनेहtenehaoriginal form "teneha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परोparooriginal form "paro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नियतस्niyatasoriginal form "niyatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माद्tasmādoriginal form "tasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मिन्'sminoriginal form "'smin", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विजितस्vijitasoriginal form "vijitas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And I have been vanquished by you here in battle, O increaser of the line of Tapati; hear from me in what manner this is so. Brahmacharya is the highest dharma, and it is firmly established in you; for that reason, O Partha, I have been vanquished by you in this battle."
Version
cc759c89a089 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the defeat is traced to the spiritual power of chastity. It is telling that the gandharva ascribes Arjuna's victory not to weapons alone, but to his brahmacharya: restraint and self-mastery give a strength that neither force nor skill can give. Here is the insight that purity is the source of strength: one who masters the senses is unconquerable, for his strength is not squandered. Thus the scripture shows that the highest valor is rooted in self-mastery; and Arjuna conquers not by the arm alone, but by the purity of his life.