Mahabharata · 1.166.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः स बुबुधे पश्चात् तम् ऋषिं नृपसत्तमः ॥
ऋषेः पुत्रं वसिष्ठस्य वसिष्ठम् इव तेजसा ॥
अन्तर्धाय तदात्मानं विश्वामित्रो ऽपि भारत ॥
ताव् उभाव् उपचक्राम चिकीर्षन्न् आत्मनः प्रियम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ sa bubudhe paścāt tam ṛṣiṃ nṛpasattamaḥ ||
ṛṣeḥ putraṃ vasiṣṭhasya vasiṣṭham iva tejasā ||
antardhāya tadātmānaṃ viśvāmitro 'pi bhārata ||
tāv ubhāv upacakrāma cikīrṣann ātmanaḥ priyam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः सः बुबुधे पश्चात् तम् ऋषिं नृपसत्तमःtataḥ saḥ bubudhe paścāt tam ṛṣiṃ nṛpasattamaḥthen afterward the best of kings recognized that rishi —
ऋषेः पुत्रं वसिष्ठस्य वसिष्ठम् इव तेजसाṛṣeḥ putraṃ vasiṣṭhasya vasiṣṭham iva tejasāthe son of the rishi Vasishtha, [shining] like Vasishtha in splendor;
अन्तर्धाय तदा आत्मानं विश्वामित्रः अपि भारतantardhāya tadā ātmānaṃ viśvāmitraḥ api bhārataconcealing himself, Vishvamitra too, O Bharata,
तौ उभौ उपचक्राम चिकीर्षन् आत्मनः प्रियम्tau ubhau upacakrāma cikīrṣan ātmanaḥ priyamapproached the two of them, wishing to accomplish what pleased him;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदात्मानंtadātmānaṃoriginal form "tadātmānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विश्वामित्रोviśvāmitrooriginal form "viśvāmitro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form "'pi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताव्tāvoriginal form "tāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उभाव्ubhāvoriginal form "ubhāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिकीर्षन्न्cikīrṣannoriginal form "cikīrṣann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then afterward the best of kings recognized that rishi — the son of the rishi Vasishtha, shining like Vasishtha in splendor. And Vishvamitra too, concealing himself, O Bharata, approached the two of them, wishing to accomplish what pleased him."
Version
945e20486532 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here malice acts in secret. It is significant that Vishvamitra "conceals himself": an ill-wisher does harm not openly but by stealth, the better to succeed. Here the nature of cunning is laid bare: it hides itself, seeking not truth but its own advantage. Thus the scripture reveals that enmity, unable to prevail openly, turns to hidden villainy; and the unseen Vishvamitra is preparing a calamity he could not have wrought in an honest quarrel.