Mahabharata · 1.212.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः स पुरुषव्याघ्रस् ताम् आदाय शुचिस्मिताम् ॥
रथेनाकाशगेनैव प्रययौ स्वपुरं प्रति ॥
ह्रियमाणां तु तां दृष्ट्वा सुभद्रां सैनिको जनः ॥
विक्रोशन् प्राद्रवत् सर्वो द्वारकाम् अभितः पुरीम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ sa puruṣavyāghras tām ādāya śucismitām ||
rathenākāśagenaiva prayayau svapuraṃ prati ||
hriyamāṇāṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā subhadrāṃ sainiko janaḥ ||
vikrośan prādravat sarvo dvārakām abhitaḥ purīm ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः सः पुरुषव्याघ्रः ताम् आदाय शुचिस्मिताम्tataḥ saḥ puruṣavyāghraḥ tām ādāya śucismitāmthen that tiger among men, having taken her, brightly smiling,
रथेन आकाशगेन एव प्रययौ स्वपुरं प्रतिrathena ākāśagena eva prayayau svapuraṃ pratiset out toward his own city on a chariot that moved through the air;
ह्रियमाणां तु तां दृष्ट्वा सुभद्रां सैनिकः जनःhriyamāṇāṃ tu tāṃ dṛṣṭvā subhadrāṃ sainikaḥ janaḥseeing that Subhadra being carried off, the soldiery
विक्रोशन् प्राद्रवत् सर्वः द्वारकाम् अभितः पुरीम्vikrośan prādravat sarvaḥ dvārakām abhitaḥ purīmcrying out, all ran toward the city of Dvaraka;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरुषव्याघ्रस्puruṣavyāghrasoriginal form "puruṣavyāghras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रथेनाकाशगेनैवrathenākāśagenaivaoriginal form "rathenākāśagenaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सैनिकोsainikooriginal form "sainiko", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वोsarvooriginal form "sarvo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
‘Then that tiger among men, having taken her, brightly smiling, set out toward his own city on a chariot that moved through the air; seeing that Subhadra being carried off, the soldiery, crying out, all ran toward the city of Dvaraka.’
Version
d13d429ee84c · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the bride herself is ‘brightly smiling’ — a sign of her consent. It is significant that Subhadra is not terrified but smiles: the abduction is only in appearance, while in her heart it is a desired union. This shows that outward force here clothes a consenting union. Thus the scripture reveals the bride's willingness; and the guards' alarm concerns only appearance, not substance.