Mahabharata · 1.171.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
अयं तिष्ठतु ते विप्र यदीच्छसि महोदधौ ॥
मन्युजो ऽग्निर् दहन्न् आपो लोका ह्य् आपोमयाः स्मृताः ॥
एवं प्रतिज्ञा सत्येयं तवानघ भविष्यति ॥
न चैव सामरा लोका गमिष्यन्ति पराभवम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ayaṃ tiṣṭhatu te vipra yadīcchasi mahodadhau ||
manyujo 'gnir dahann āpo lokā hy āpomayāḥ smṛtāḥ ||
evaṃ pratijñā satyeyaṃ tavānagha bhaviṣyati ||
na caiva sāmarā lokā gamiṣyanti parābhavam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अयं तिष्ठतु ते विप्र यदि इच्छसि महोदधौayaṃ tiṣṭhatu te vipra yadi icchasi mahodadhaulet it remain, O learned one, if you wish, in the great ocean,
मन्युजः अग्निः दहन् आपः लोकाः हि आपोमयाः स्मृताःmanyujaḥ agniḥ dahan āpaḥ lokāḥ hi āpomayāḥ smṛtāḥthe fire born of anger, consuming the waters -- for the worlds are held to be of the nature of water;
एवं प्रतिज्ञा सत्या इयं तव अनघ भविष्यतिevaṃ pratijñā satyā iyaṃ tava anagha bhaviṣyatithus this vow of yours will become true, O faultless one,
न च एव सामराः लोकाः गमिष्यन्ति पराभवम्na ca eva sāmarāḥ lokāḥ gamiṣyanti parābhavamand the worlds together with the gods will not go to destruction";
यदीच्छसिyadīcchasioriginal form "yadīcchasi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मन्युजोmanyujooriginal form "manyujo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽग्निर्'gniroriginal form "'gnir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दहन्न्dahannoriginal form "dahann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आपोāpooriginal form "āpo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लोकाlokāoriginal form "lokā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्येयंsatyeyaṃoriginal form "satyeyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवानघtavānaghaoriginal form "tavānagha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सामराsāmarāoriginal form "sāmarā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लोकाlokāoriginal form "lokā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Let it remain, O learned one, if you wish, in the great ocean, the fire born of anger, consuming the waters -- for the worlds are held to be of the nature of water. Thus this vow of yours will become true, O faultless one, and the worlds together with the gods will not go to destruction."
Version
0154c13cf340 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:37:22 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the vow is fulfilled without the destruction of the innocent. The elegance of the resolution is telling: the fire will consume the waters, and the vow "to destroy the worlds" will prove true -- for the worlds are of the nature of water -- yet the living will not perish. In this is a wisdom that honors both the letter of the word and the good of the living: the truth of the vow is kept, and mercy toward the world is preserved. Thus the scripture shows how righteous ingenuity reconciles fidelity to a given word with compassion; and Aurva's terrible vow turns into harmless service.