Mahabharata · 1.217.6–7
॥
Devanāgarī
समालिङ्ग्य सुतान् अन्ये पितॄन् मातॄंस् तथापरे ॥
त्यक्तुं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तथैव निधनं गताः ॥
विकृतैर् दर्शनैर् अन्ये समुत्पेतुः सहस्रशः ॥
तत्र तत्र विघूर्णन्तः पुनर् अग्नौ प्रपेदिरे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
samāliṅgya sutān anye pitṝn mātṝṃs tathāpare ||
tyaktuṃ na śekuḥ snehena tathaiva nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ||
vikṛtair darśanair anye samutpetuḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
tatra tatra vighūrṇantaḥ punar agnau prapedire ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
समालिङ्ग्य सुतान् अन्ये पितॄन् मातॄन् तथा अपरेsamāliṅgya sutān anye pitṝn mātṝn tathā aparesome, embracing their sons, and others their fathers and mothers,
त्यक्तुं न शेकुः स्नेहेन तथा एव निधनं गताःtyaktuṃ na śekuḥ snehena tathā eva nidhanaṃ gatāḥunable to part from them out of love, met their death just so;
विकृतैः दर्शनैः अन्ये समुत्पेतुः सहस्रशःvikṛtaiḥ darśanaiḥ anye samutpetuḥ sahasraśaḥothers, with disfigured aspect, leapt up by the thousands,
तत्र तत्र विघूर्णन्तः पुनः अग्नौ प्रपेदिरेtatra tatra vighūrṇantaḥ punaḥ agnau prapedirewhirling here and there, fell again into the fire;
मातॄंस्mātṝṃsoriginal form "mātṝṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथापरेtathāpareoriginal form "tathāpare", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथैवtathaivaoriginal form "tathaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विकृतैर्vikṛtairoriginal form "vikṛtair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दर्शनैर्darśanairoriginal form "darśanair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Some, embracing their sons, and others their fathers and mothers, unable to part from them out of love, met their death just so; others, with disfigured aspect, leapt up by the thousands, whirling here and there, fell again into the fire."
Version
8ce339c256d7 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here, even amid destruction, love shines forth, refusing to abandon kin. It is telling that creatures, embracing their children and parents, perish "unable to part from them out of love": the heart's attachment proves stronger than the fear of death. Here is both the tenderness of love and the bitterness of an attachment that draws one to perish together. Thus scripture reveals tenderness amid terror, and this sight is a lesson on the power of love and the transience of earthly bonds.