Mahabharata · 1.195.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
न चापि तेषां वीराणां जीवतां कुरुनन्दन ॥
पित्र्यो ऽंशः शक्य आदातुम् अपि वज्रभृता स्वयम् ॥
ते हि सर्वे स्थिता धर्मे सर्वे चैवैकचेतसः ॥
अधर्मेण निरस्ताश् च तुल्ये राज्ये विशेषतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
na cāpi teṣāṃ vīrāṇāṃ jīvatāṃ kurunandana ||
pitryo 'ṃśaḥ śakya ādātum api vajrabhṛtā svayam ||
te hi sarve sthitā dharme sarve caivaikacetasaḥ ||
adharmeṇa nirastāś ca tulye rājye viśeṣataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न च अपि तेषां वीराणां जीवतां कुरुनन्दनna ca api teṣāṃ vīrāṇāṃ jīvatāṃ kurunandanaAnd from those heroes, while they live, O joy of the Kurus,
पित्र्यः अंशः शक्यः आदातुम् अपि वज्रभृता स्वयम्pitryaḥ aṃśaḥ śakyaḥ ādātum api vajrabhṛtā svayamtheir paternal share cannot be taken even by the Thunderbolt-bearer [Indra] himself;
ते हि सर्वे स्थिताः धर्मे सर्वे च एव एकचेतसःte hi sarve sthitāḥ dharme sarve ca eva ekacetasaḥfor all of them stand firm in dharma and all are of one mind,
अधर्मेण निरस्ताः च तुल्ये राज्ये विशेषतःadharmeṇa nirastāḥ ca tulye rājye viśeṣataḥand by unrighteousness they have been deprived of their share in the kingdom that belongs to them equally, especially so;
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पित्र्योpitryooriginal form "pitryo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽंशः'ṃśaḥoriginal form "'ṃśaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शक्यśakyaoriginal form "śakya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थिताsthitāoriginal form "sthitā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवैकचेतसःcaivaikacetasaḥoriginal form "caivaikacetasaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निरस्ताश्nirastāśoriginal form "nirastāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
'And from those heroes, while they live, O joy of the Kurus, their paternal share cannot be taken even by the Thunderbolt-bearer himself; for all of them stand firm in dharma and all are of one mind, and by unrighteousness they have been deprived of their share in the kingdom that belongs to them equally.'
Version
860839115970 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:54:01 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the invincibility of those established in dharma shows itself. The saying is significant: their shares cannot be taken 'even by Indra'—for behind those who stand in truth stands truth itself, stronger than all. Here one sees the truth that those protected by dharma cannot be overcome by force, for the Lord is the stronghold of the righteous. Thus the scripture shows the futility of violence against the righteous; and what is wrongly taken will inevitably return to them.