Mahabharata · 1.166.18–19
॥
Devanāgarī
रक्षसा तु गृहीतं तं विदित्वा स मुनिस् तदा ॥
विश्वामित्रो ऽप्य् अपक्रामत् तस्माद् देशाद् अरिंदम ॥
ततः स नृपतिर् विद्वान् रक्षन्न् आत्मानम् आत्मना ॥
बलवत् पीड्यमानो ऽपि रक्षसान्तर्गतेन ह ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rakṣasā tu gṛhītaṃ taṃ viditvā sa munis tadā ||
viśvāmitro 'py apakrāmat tasmād deśād ariṃdama ||
tataḥ sa nṛpatir vidvān rakṣann ātmānam ātmanā ||
balavat pīḍyamāno 'pi rakṣasāntargatena ha ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
रक्षसा तु गृहीतं तं विदित्वा सः मुनिः तदाrakṣasā tu gṛhītaṃ taṃ viditvā saḥ muniḥ tadāhaving learned that the king was seized by the rakshasa, the muni then,
विश्वामित्रः अपि अपक्रामत् तस्मात् देशात् अरिंदमviśvāmitraḥ api apakrāmat tasmāt deśāt ariṃdamaVishvamitra, departed from that place, O tamer of foes;
ततः सः नृपतिः विद्वान् रक्षन् आत्मानम् आत्मनाtataḥ saḥ nṛpatiḥ vidvān rakṣan ātmānam ātmanāthen that king, learned, guarding himself by his own strength,
बलवत् पीड्यमानः अपि रक्षसा अन्तर्गतेन हbalavat pīḍyamānaḥ api rakṣasā antargatena hathough sorely oppressed by the rakshasa that had entered within him;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुनिस्munisoriginal form "munis", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विश्वामित्रोviśvāmitrooriginal form "viśvāmitro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽप्य्'pyoriginal form "'py", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्माद्tasmādoriginal form "tasmād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देशाद्deśādoriginal form "deśād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपतिर्nṛpatiroriginal form "nṛpatir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रक्षन्न्rakṣannoriginal form "rakṣann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पीड्यमानोpīḍyamānooriginal form "pīḍymāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form "'pi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रक्षसान्तर्गतेनrakṣasāntargatenaoriginal form "rakṣasāntargatena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Having learned that the king was seized by the rakshasa, the muni Vishvamitra departed from that place, O tamer of foes. And that learned king guarded himself by his own strength, though sorely oppressed by the rakshasa that had entered within him."
Version
a8717484363d · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the possessed king still struggles against himself. It is significant that, "learned, he guards himself": within him a battle rages — the human resists the evil that has entered. Before us is an image of a soul in which the good resists the onslaught of darkness: as long as a person struggles, he is not yet wholly lost. It is also significant that the evil is "within" — the hardest enemy of all. Thus the scripture reveals the king's inner battle; and his solitary resistance stirs compassion for the victim of another's malice.