Mahabharata · 1.203.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
पृष्ठतः परिवर्तन्त्याः पश्चिमं निःसृतं मुखम् ॥
गतायाश् चोत्तरं पार्श्वम् उत्तरं निःसृतं मुखम् ॥
महेन्द्रस्यापि नेत्राणां पार्श्वतः पृष्ठतो ऽग्रतः ॥
रक्तान्तानां विशालानां सहस्रं सर्वतो ऽभवत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pṛṣṭhataḥ parivartantyāḥ paścimaṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukham ||
gatāyāś cottaraṃ pārśvam uttaraṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukham ||
mahendrasyāpi netrāṇāṃ pārśvataḥ pṛṣṭhato 'grataḥ ||
raktāntānāṃ viśālānāṃ sahasraṃ sarvato 'bhavat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पृष्ठतः परिवर्तन्त्याः पश्चिमं निःसृतं मुखम्pṛṣṭhataḥ parivartantyāḥ paścimaṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukhamwhen she circled behind, a western face emerged;
गतायाः च उत्तरं पार्श्वम् उत्तरं निःसृतं मुखम्gatāyāḥ ca uttaraṃ pārśvam uttaraṃ niḥsṛtaṃ mukhambut when she went to the northern side, a northern face emerged;
महेन्द्रस्य अपि नेत्राणां पार्श्वतः पृष्ठतः अग्रतःmahendrasya api netrāṇāṃ pārśvataḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ agrataḥand for great Indra — to the side, behind, in front —
रक्तान्तानां विशालानां सहस्रं सर्वतः अभवत्raktāntānāṃ viśālānāṃ sahasraṃ sarvataḥ abhavata thousand wide, red-cornered eyes appeared everywhere;
गतायाश्gatāyāśoriginal form "gatāyāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चोत्तरंcottaraṃoriginal form "cottaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महेन्द्रस्यापिmahendrasyāpioriginal form "mahendrasyāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृष्ठतोpṛṣṭhatooriginal form "pṛṣṭhato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽग्रतः'grataḥoriginal form "'grataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वतोsarvatooriginal form "sarvato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽभवत्'bhavatoriginal form "'bhavat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"When she circled behind, a western face emerged; and when she went to the northern side, a northern face emerged; and for great Indra — to the side, behind, in front — a thousand wide, red-cornered eyes appeared everywhere."
Version
9f163ec0efb3 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the tradition also explains Indra's thousand-eyedness. It is significant that Indra too "grew" eyes, so as not to lose sight of her: attraction multiplies the very instrument of seeing. Here is revealed a figurative explanation of the ancient names of the gods through this story. Thus scripture shows how the marks of Shiva and Indra came to be; and the tale itself is a lesson on the irresistibility of charm for one who does not master himself.