Mahabharata · 1.165.39–40
॥
Devanāgarī
न च प्राणैर् वियुज्यन्त के चित् ते सैनिकास् तदा ॥
विश्वामित्रस्य संक्रुद्धैर् वासिष्ठैर् भरतर्षभ ॥
विश्वामित्रस्य सैन्यं तु काल्यमानं त्रियोजनम् ॥
क्रोशमानं भयोद्विग्नं त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
na ca prāṇair viyujyanta ke cit te sainikās tadā ||
viśvāmitrasya saṃkruddhair vāsiṣṭhair bharatarṣabha ||
viśvāmitrasya sainyaṃ tu kālyamānaṃ triyojanam ||
krośamānaṃ bhayodvignaṃ trātāraṃ nādhyagacchata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न च प्राणैः वियुज्यन्त के चित् ते सैनिकाः तदाna ca prāṇaiḥ viyujyanta ke cit te sainikāḥ tadāand none of those soldiers was deprived of life then
विश्वामित्रस्य संक्रुद्धैः वासिष्ठैः भरतर्षभviśvāmitrasya saṃkruddhaiḥ vāsiṣṭhaiḥ bharatarṣabhaby the enraged hosts of Vasishtha, O bull of the Bharatas;
विश्वामित्रस्य सैन्यं तु काल्यमानं त्रियोजनम्viśvāmitrasya sainyaṃ tu kālyamānaṃ triyojanambut Vishvamitra's army, driven for three yojanas,
क्रोशमानं भयोद्विग्नं त्रातारं न अध्यगच्छतkrośamānaṃ bhayodvignaṃ trātāraṃ na adhyagacchatawailing, seized with fear, found no protector;
प्राणैर्prāṇairoriginal form "prāṇair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सैनिकास्sainikāsoriginal form "sainikās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संक्रुद्धैर्saṃkruddhairoriginal form "saṃkruddhair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वासिष्ठैर्vāsiṣṭhairoriginal form "vāsiṣṭhair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाध्यगच्छतnādhyagacchataoriginal form "nādhyagacchata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And none of those soldiers was deprived of life then by the enraged hosts of Vasishtha, O bull of the Bharatas; but the army of Vishvamitra, driven for three yojanas, wailing, seized with fear, found no protector."
Version
b43be08a3054 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here even in the rout the brahmin's meekness reveals itself. Telling is it that the hosts born of rage kill no one: Vasishtha's power, repelling the attack, sheds no blood -- it drives away but does not destroy. Here is the measure of righteous defense: it suffices to turn back evil without multiplying death; a defense that does not turn into slaughter is the seal of dharma. Thus scripture shows that even in victory the brahmin remains true to meekness; and the rout of an army without a single death is a sign that what moves him is not vengeance but the defense of what is sacred.