Mahabharata · 1.212.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
वैशंपायन उवाच
ततः संवादिते तस्मिन्न् अनुज्ञातो धनंजयः ॥
गतां रैवतके कन्यां विदित्वा जनमेजय ॥
वासुदेवाभ्यनुज्ञातः कथयित्वेतिकृत्यताम् ॥
कृष्णस्य मतम् आज्ञाय प्रययौ भरतर्षभः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tataḥ saṃvādite tasminn anujñāto dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
gatāṃ raivatake kanyāṃ viditvā janamejaya ||
vāsudevābhyanujñātaḥ kathayitvetikṛtyatām ||
kṛṣṇasya matam ājñāya prayayau bharatarṣabhaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः संवादिते तस्मिन् अनुज्ञातः धनंजयःtataḥ saṃvādite tasmin anujñātaḥ dhanaṃjayaḥthen, when that had been agreed, Dhananjaya, having received permission,
गतां रैवतके कन्यां विदित्वा जनमेजयgatāṃ raivatake kanyāṃ viditvā janamejayahaving learned that the maiden had gone to Raivataka, O Janamejaya —
वासुदेवाभ्यनुज्ञातः कथयित्वा इतिकृत्यताम्vāsudevābhyanujñātaḥ kathayitvā itikṛtyatāmwith the permission of Vasudeva [Krishna], having discussed what ought to be done,
कृष्णस्य मतम् आज्ञाय प्रययौ भरतर्षभःkṛṣṇasya matam ājñāya prayayau bharatarṣabhaḥand having learned Krishna's thought, the bull of the Bharatas set out;
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्मिन्न्tasminnoriginal form "tasminn", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनुज्ञातोanujñātooriginal form "anujñāto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कथयित्वेतिकृत्यताम्kathayitvetikṛtyatāmoriginal form "kathayitvetikṛtyatām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Vaishampayana said: ‘Then, when that had been agreed, Dhananjaya, having received permission, and learning that the maiden had gone to Raivataka — with the permission of Vasudeva, having discussed what ought to be done, and having learned Krishna's thought, the bull of the Bharatas set out.’
Version
9bcd1bca8343 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the hero acts not on his own will, but by the will of the Lord. It is significant that Arjuna sets out ‘having learned Krishna's thought’: his deed is sanctioned by the Lord's consent. This shows that a devotee undertakes even a bold act only at the Lord's direction. Thus the scripture reveals that the coming abduction fulfills Krishna's will; and Arjuna is the instrument of His design.