Mahabharata · 1.201.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
आत्ममांसानि जुह्वन्तौ पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठितौ ॥
ऊर्ध्वबाहू चानिमिषौ दीर्घकालं धृतव्रतौ ॥
तयोस् तपःप्रभावेण दीर्घकालं प्रतापितः ॥
धूमं प्रमुमुचे विन्ध्यस् तद् अद्भुतम् इवाभवत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ātmamāṃsāni juhvantau pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitau ||
ūrdhvabāhū cānimiṣau dīrghakālaṃ dhṛtavratau ||
tayos tapaḥprabhāveṇa dīrghakālaṃ pratāpitaḥ ||
dhūmaṃ pramumuce vindhyas tad adbhutam ivābhavat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आत्ममांसानि जुह्वन्तौ पादाङ्गुष्ठाग्रधिष्ठितौātmamāṃsāni juhvantau pādāṅguṣṭhāgradhiṣṭhitauoffering their own flesh into the fire, standing on the tips of their big toes,
ऊर्ध्वबाहू च अनिमिषौ दीर्घकालं धृतव्रतौūrdhvabāhū ca animiṣau dīrghakālaṃ dhṛtavratauwith arms raised and unblinking, holding their vow for a long time;
तयोः तपःप्रभावेण दीर्घकालं प्रतापितःtayoḥ tapaḥprabhāveṇa dīrghakālaṃ pratāpitaḥby the power of their austerity, long scorched,
धूमं प्रमुमुचे विन्ध्यः तत् अद्भुतम् इव अभवत्dhūmaṃ pramumuce vindhyaḥ tat adbhutam iva abhavatthe Vindhya let out smoke; it was as if a wonder;
चानिमिषौcānimiṣauoriginal form "cānimiṣau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तयोस्tayosoriginal form "tayos", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विन्ध्यस्vindhyasoriginal form "vindhyas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवाभवत्ivābhavatoriginal form "ivābhavat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Offering their own flesh into the fire, standing on the tips of their big toes, arms raised and unblinking, holding their vow for a long time; by the power of their austerity, long scorched, the Vindhya let out smoke; it was as if a wonder."
Version
35d34eac70e3 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the austerity is so fierce that the very mountain smokes. It is telling that the heat of their tapas scorches the Vindhya: resolve carried to its extreme shakes the world itself. Here it is shown how formidable the power of concentrated will is -- and how dangerous it is without the rein of dharma. Thus the scripture shows the extremity of their austerity; and the shaken gods will not take alarm in vain.