Mahabharata · 1.181.29–30
॥
Devanāgarī
कृष्णाद् वा देवकीपुत्रात् फल्गुनाद् वा परंतपात् ॥
को वा दुर्योधनं शक्तः प्रतियोधयितुं रणे ॥
तथैव मद्रराजानं शल्यं बलवतां वरम् ॥
बलदेवाद् ऋते वीरात् पाण्डवाद् वा वृकोदरात् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kṛṣṇād vā devakīputrāt phalgunād vā paraṃtapāt ||
ko vā duryodhanaṃ śaktaḥ pratiyodhayituṃ raṇe ||
tathaiva madrarājānaṃ śalyaṃ balavatāṃ varam ||
baladevād ṛte vīrāt pāṇḍavād vā vṛkodarāt ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कृष्णात् वा देवकीपुत्रात् फल्गुनात् वा परंतपात्kṛṣṇāt vā devakīputrāt phalgunāt vā paraṃtapātor Krishna, son of Devaki, or Phalguna, scourge of foes?
कः वा दुर्योधनं शक्तः प्रतियोधयितुं रणेkaḥ vā duryodhanaṃ śaktaḥ pratiyodhayituṃ raṇeand who is able to withstand Duryodhana in battle,
तथा एव मद्रराजानं शल्यं बलवतां वरम्tathā eva madrarājānaṃ śalyaṃ balavatāṃ varamas well as Shalya, king of the Madras, foremost among the mighty,
बलदेवात् ऋते वीरात् पाण्डवात् वा वृकोदरात्baladevāt ṛte vīrāt pāṇḍavāt vā vṛkodarātexcept the hero Baladeva or the Pandava Vrikodara?"
कृष्णाद्kṛṣṇādoriginal form "kṛṣṇād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
फल्गुनाद्phalgunādoriginal form "phalgunād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कोkooriginal form "ko", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथैवtathaivaoriginal form "tathaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलदेवाद्baladevādoriginal form "baladevād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पाण्डवाद्pāṇḍavādoriginal form "pāṇḍavād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Or Krishna, son of Devaki, or Phalguna, scourge of foes? And who is able to withstand Duryodhana in battle, as well as Shalya, king of the Madras, foremost among the mighty, except the hero Baladeva or the Pandava Vrikodara?"
Version
c29506bcac09 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the kings themselves speak the true names, not knowing they have guessed right. It is telling that in the list of those capable of overcoming Shalya, the name "the Pandava Vrikodara" is spoken — and this is Bhima himself, standing before them: the truth is uttered but not recognized. Here the same irony repeats: the lips speak the name while the mind remains blind to the truth. Thus the scripture shows that providence places truth even in the mouths of those merely guessing; and the kings, listing the worthy, unknowingly name the very ones standing before them.