Mahabharata · 1.166.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो याज्यनिमित्तं तु विश्वामित्रवसिष्ठयोः ॥
वैरम् आसीत् तदा तं तु विश्वामित्रो ऽन्वपद्यत ॥
तयोर् विवदतोर् एवं समीपम् उपचक्रमे ॥
ऋषिर् उग्रतपाः पार्थ विश्वामित्रः प्रतापवान् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato yājyanimittaṃ tu viśvāmitravasiṣṭhayoḥ ||
vairam āsīt tadā taṃ tu viśvāmitro 'nvapadyata ||
tayor vivadator evaṃ samīpam upacakrame ||
ṛṣir ugratapāḥ pārtha viśvāmitraḥ pratāpavān ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः याज्यनिमित्तं तु विश्वामित्रवसिष्ठयोःtataḥ yājyanimittaṃ tu viśvāmitravasiṣṭhayoḥthen — because of [a dispute over] the priesthood [between] Vishvamitra and Vasishtha
वैरम् आसीत् तदा तं तु विश्वामित्रः अन्वपद्यतvairam āsīt tadā taṃ tu viśvāmitraḥ anvapadyatathere was enmity; and just then Vishvamitra arrived [at the place];
तयोः विवदतोः एवं समीपम् उपचक्रमेtayoḥ vivadatoḥ evaṃ samīpam upacakramewhile the two were thus quarreling, there approached
ऋषिः उग्रतपाः पार्थ विश्वामित्रः प्रतापवान्ṛṣiḥ ugratapāḥ pārtha viśvāmitraḥ pratāpavānthe rishi of fierce austerity, O Partha, the valiant Vishvamitra;
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विश्वामित्रोviśvāmitrooriginal form "viśvāmitro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽन्वपद्यत'nvapadyataoriginal form "'nvapadyata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तयोर्tayororiginal form "tayor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विवदतोर्vivadatororiginal form "vivadator", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिर्ṛṣiroriginal form "ṛṣir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then — because of a dispute over the priesthood, there was enmity between Vishvamitra and Vasishtha; and just then Vishvamitra arrived at the place. While the two of them [the king and Shakti] were thus quarreling, there approached the rishi of fierce austerity, O Partha, the valiant Vishvamitra."
Version
ec9f2b61855e · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here an old enmity lies in wait for its chance. It is significant that Vishvamitra "arrived" just at the quarrel: a long-standing foe senses an opportunity to harm his rival and hastens to seize it. Here we see how an unextinguished enmity turns another's misfortune into its own instrument: where there is discord, an ill-wisher finds an opening. Thus the scripture reveals the cunning of a hidden hatred; and Vishvamitra's arrival will turn a private quarrel into the ruin of an entire line.