Mahabharata · 1.202.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं सर्वान् समादिश्य पूर्वतीरे महोदधेः ॥
क्रूरां मतिं समास्थाय जग्मतुः सर्वतोमुखम् ॥
यज्ञैर् यजन्ते ये के चिद् याजयन्ति च ये द्विजाः ॥
तान् सर्वान् प्रसभं दृष्ट्वा बलिनौ जघ्नतुस् तदा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ sarvān samādiśya pūrvatīre mahodadheḥ ||
krūrāṃ matiṃ samāsthāya jagmatuḥ sarvatomukham ||
yajñair yajante ye ke cid yājayanti ca ye dvijāḥ ||
tān sarvān prasabhaṃ dṛṣṭvā balinau jaghnatus tadā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवं सर्वान् समादिश्य पूर्वतीरे महोदधेःevaṃ sarvān samādiśya pūrvatīre mahodadheḥhaving thus given orders to all, on the eastern shore of the great ocean,
क्रूरां मतिं समास्थाय जग्मतुः सर्वतोमुखम्krūrāṃ matiṃ samāsthāya jagmatuḥ sarvatomukhamadopting a cruel design, they moved out in every direction;
यज्ञैः यजन्ते ये के चित् याजयन्ति च ये द्विजाःyajñaiḥ yajante ye ke cit yājayanti ca ye dvijāḥwhoever performed sacrifices, and the twice-born who conducted sacrifices [for others] —
तान् सर्वान् प्रसभं दृष्ट्वा बलिनौ जघ्नतुः तदाtān sarvān prasabhaṃ dṛṣṭvā balinau jaghnatuḥ tadāall of them, on sight, the mighty brothers then violently slew;
यज्ञैर्yajñairoriginal form "yajñair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जघ्नतुस्jaghnatusoriginal form "jaghnatus", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Having thus given orders to all, on the eastern shore of the great ocean, adopting a cruel design, they moved out in every direction; whoever performed sacrifices, and the twice-born who conducted sacrifices for others — all of them, on sight, the mighty brothers then violently slew."
Version
8ed991b9add1 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here begins the slaughter of the righteous. It is telling that it is precisely the priests and those who offer sacrifice who perish: evil pursues righteousness with particular fury. Here is the lesson: persecution of the people of dharma is the surest sign of triumphant lawlessness. Thus the scripture shows the bloody rampage of the asuras; and it is the keepers of the sacred who suffer first of all.