Mahabharata · 1.203.28–29
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्या गात्रे निपतिता तेषां दृष्टिर् महात्मनाम् ॥
सर्वेषाम् एव भूयिष्ठम् ऋते देवं पितामहम् ॥
गच्छन्त्यास् तु तदा देवाः सर्वे च परमर्षयः ॥
कृतम् इत्य् एव तत् कार्यं मेनिरे रूपसंपदा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasyā gātre nipatitā teṣāṃ dṛṣṭir mahātmanām ||
sarveṣām eva bhūyiṣṭham ṛte devaṃ pitāmaham ||
gacchantyās tu tadā devāḥ sarve ca paramarṣayaḥ ||
kṛtam ity eva tat kāryaṃ menire rūpasaṃpadā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्याः गात्रे निपतिता तेषां दृष्टिः महात्मनाम्tasyāḥ gātre nipatitā teṣāṃ dṛṣṭiḥ mahātmanāmupon her body fell the gaze of those great souls,
सर्वेषाम् एव भूयिष्ठम् ऋते देवं पितामहम्sarveṣām eva bhūyiṣṭham ṛte devaṃ pitāmahamnearly all of them unable to look away, except the god the Grandsire;
गच्छन्त्याः तु तदा देवाः सर्वे च परमर्षयःgacchantyāḥ tu tadā devāḥ sarve ca paramarṣayaḥbut when she departed, all the gods and the highest sages
कृतम् इति एव तत् कार्यं मेनिरे रूपसंपदाkṛtam iti eva tat kāryaṃ menire rūpasaṃpadādeemed that task already accomplished — by her perfection of beauty;
तस्याtasyāoriginal form "tasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दृष्टिर्dṛṣṭiroriginal form "dṛṣṭir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गच्छन्त्यास्gacchantyāsoriginal form "gacchantyās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इत्य्ityoriginal form "ity", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Upon her body fell the gaze of those great souls -- nearly all of them unable to look away, except the god the Grandsire; and when she departed, all the gods and the highest sages deemed that task already accomplished, so perfect was her beauty."
Version
b9f4e2448f05 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Only the Grandsire remains unmoved here. It is telling that Brahma alone is not carried away by her beauty: one who has mastered the self is not enslaved by allure. Here stands the ideal of self-command -- a mind unshaken even before the highest temptation. The verse shows the superiority of one who governs the senses; Brahma's composure is the measure of true freedom of spirit.