Mahabharata · 1.206.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
तथा पर्याकुले तस्मिन् निवेशे पाण्डुनन्दनः ॥
अभिषेकाय कौन्तेयो गङ्गाम् अवततार ह ॥
तत्राभिषेकं कृत्वा स तर्पयित्वा पितामहान् ॥
उत्तितीर्षुर् जलाद् राजन्न् अग्निकार्यचिकीर्षया ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tathā paryākule tasmin niveśe pāṇḍunandanaḥ ||
abhiṣekāya kaunteyo gaṅgām avatatāra ha ||
tatrābhiṣekaṃ kṛtvā sa tarpayitvā pitāmahān ||
uttitīrṣur jalād rājann agnikāryacikīrṣayā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथा पर्याकुले तस्मिन् निवेशे पाण्डुनन्दनःtathā paryākule tasmin niveśe pāṇḍunandanaḥin that so-crowded encampment, the joy of Pandu,
अभिषेकाय कौन्तेयः गङ्गाम् अवततार हabhiṣekāya kaunteyaḥ gaṅgām avatatāra hathe son of Kunti, went down into the Ganga to bathe;
तत्र अभिषेकं कृत्वा सः तर्पयित्वा पितामहान्tatra abhiṣekaṃ kṛtvā saḥ tarpayitvā pitāmahānthere, having bathed and satisfied his ancestors [with libations],
उत्तितीर्षुः जलात् राजन् अग्निकार्यचिकीर्षयाuttitīrṣuḥ jalāt rājan agnikāryacikīrṣayāwishing to rise from the water, O king, intending to perform the fire rite, --
कौन्तेयोkaunteyooriginal form "kaunteyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्राभिषेकंtatrābhiṣekaṃoriginal form "tatrābhiṣekaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उत्तितीर्षुर्uttitīrṣuroriginal form "uttitīrṣur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जलाद्jalādoriginal form "jalād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजन्न्rājannoriginal form "rājann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"In that crowded encampment, the joy of Pandu, the son of Kunti, went down into the Ganga to bathe; there, having bathed and satisfied his ancestors with libations, wishing to rise from the water, intending to perform the fire rite, --"
Version
eaa17e28acb6 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:01:16 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Arjuna piously honors his ancestors as well. It is telling that he "satisfies his ancestors with libations" [tarpana]: even in his wandering he keeps his duty toward the departed. Here is the fullness of his piety -- toward the gods, the saints, and the ancestors. Thus the scripture reveals Arjuna's fidelity to ritual duty; and at the very hour of his rite, something wondrous will come to pass.