Mahabharata · 1.162.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः प्रत्यागतप्राणस् तद् बलं बलवान् नृपः ॥
सर्वं विसर्जयाम् आस तम् एकं सचिवं विना ॥
ततस् तस्याज्ञया राज्ञो विप्रतस्थे महद् बलम् ॥
स तु राजा गिरिप्रस्थे तस्मिन् पुनर् उपाविशत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pratyāgataprāṇas tad balaṃ balavān nṛpaḥ ||
sarvaṃ visarjayām āsa tam ekaṃ sacivaṃ vinā ||
tatas tasyājñayā rājño vipratasthe mahad balam ||
sa tu rājā giriprasthe tasmin punar upāviśat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः प्रत्यागतप्राणः तत् बलं बलवान् नृपःtataḥ pratyāgataprāṇaḥ tat balaṃ balavān nṛpaḥthen, when life returned, the mighty king all that army
सर्वं विसर्जयाम् आस तम् एकं सचिवं विनाsarvaṃ visarjayām āsa tam ekaṃ sacivaṃ vinādismissed entirely, except that one counselor;
ततः तस्य आज्ञया राज्ञः विप्रतस्थे महत् बलम्tataḥ tasya ājñayā rājñaḥ vipratasthe mahat balamthen, at that king's command, the great army set out on the return march;
सः तु राजा गिरिप्रस्थे तस्मिन् पुनः उपाविशत्saḥ tu rājā giriprasthe tasmin punaḥ upāviśatand that king sat down again on that mountain slope;
प्रत्यागतप्राणस्pratyāgataprāṇasoriginal form "pratyāgataprāṇas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततस्tatasoriginal form "tatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्याज्ञयाtasyājñayāoriginal form "tasyājñayā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्ञोrājñooriginal form "rājño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महद्mahadoriginal form "mahad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"When life returned, the mighty king dismissed all that army, except that one counselor; then, at that king's command, the great army set out on its return; and the king sat down again on that mountain slope."
Version
fe73e219b85a · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the king removes everything superfluous for the sake of an inward task. It is telling that he sends away the army, keeping only one counselor: the work of the heart and spirit is not done before a crowd, but in solitude. Here it is disclosed that seeking the highest requires withdrawal from crowds and noise: one approaches prayer and spiritual effort in silence. Thus the text shows that the king, having dismissed his host, prepares for concentrated turning toward the divine; and solitude is the threshold of spiritual effort.