Mahabharata · 1.212.29–30
॥
Devanāgarī
सो ऽवमन्य च नामास्मान् अनादृत्य च केशवम् ॥
प्रसह्य हृतवान् अद्य सुभद्रां मृत्युम् आत्मनः ॥
कथं हि शिरसो मध्ये पदं तेन कृतं मम ॥
मर्षयिष्यामि गोविन्द पादस्पर्शम् इवोरगः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
so 'vamanya ca nāmāsmān anādṛtya ca keśavam ||
prasahya hṛtavān adya subhadrāṃ mṛtyum ātmanaḥ ||
kathaṃ hi śiraso madhye padaṃ tena kṛtaṃ mama ||
marṣayiṣyāmi govinda pādasparśam ivoragaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः अवमन्य च नाम अस्मान् अनादृत्य च केशवम्saḥ avamanya ca nāma asmān anādṛtya ca keśavamHe, scorning us and disrespecting Keshava [Krishna],
प्रसह्य हृतवान् अद्य सुभद्रां मृत्युम् आत्मनःprasahya hṛtavān adya subhadrāṃ mṛtyum ātmanaḥforcibly abducted Subhadra this day — he abducted his own death;
कथं हि शिरसः मध्ये पदं तेन कृतं ममkathaṃ hi śirasaḥ madhye padaṃ tena kṛtaṃ mamahow then shall I endure the foot he has set upon the crown of my head,
मर्षयिष्यामि गोविन्द पादस्पर्शम् इव उरगःmarṣayiṣyāmi govinda pādasparśam iva uragaḥO Govinda, as a serpent endures the touch of a foot?
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽवमन्य'vamanyaoriginal form "'vamanya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नामास्मान्nāmāsmānoriginal form "nāmāsmān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शिरसोśirasooriginal form "śiraso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवोरगःivoragaḥoriginal form "ivoragaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"He, scorning us and showing no respect to Keshava, forcibly abducted Subhadra this day — and in her abducted his own death; how shall I endure the foot he has set upon the crown of my head, O Govinda, as a serpent endures the touch of a foot?"
Version
c61932d32536 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here wounded pride boils over into a thirst for vengeance. The comparison to a serpent that cannot bear the touch of a foot is telling: offended honor counts the insult unbearable. One sees how anger, unchecked by reason, verges on the extreme. So the scripture shows Balarama's fury — yet behind it lies only ignorance that Arjuna had acted with Krishna's consent.