Mahabharata · 1.221.15–16
॥
Devanāgarī
जरितोवाच
इदम् आखोर् बिलं भूमौ वृक्षस्यास्य समीपतः ॥
तद् आविशध्वं त्वरिता वह्नेर् अत्र न वो भयम् ॥
ततो ऽहं पांसुना छिद्रम् अपिधास्यामि पुत्रकाः ॥
एवं प्रतिकृतं मन्ये ज्वलतः कृष्णवर्त्मनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jaritovāca
idam ākhor bilaṃ bhūmau vṛkṣasyāsya samīpataḥ ||
tad āviśadhvaṃ tvaritā vahner atra na vo bhayam ||
tato 'haṃ pāṃsunā chidram apidhāsyāmi putrakāḥ ||
evaṃ pratikṛtaṃ manye jvalataḥ kṛṣṇavartmanaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इदम् आखोः बिलं भूमौ वृक्षस्य अस्य समीपतःidam ākhoḥ bilaṃ bhūmau vṛkṣasya asya samīpataḥ"Here is a mouse hole in the ground, near this tree;
तत् आविशध्वं त्वरिताः वह्नेः अत्र न वः भयम्tat āviśadhvaṃ tvaritāḥ vahneḥ atra na vaḥ bhayamenter it quickly; there you have no fear of the fire;
ततः अहं पांसुना छिद्रम् अपिधास्यामि पुत्रकाःtataḥ ahaṃ pāṃsunā chidram apidhāsyāmi putrakāḥthen I shall close the opening with dust, children;
एवं प्रतिकृतं मन्ये ज्वलतः कृष्णवर्त्मनःevaṃ pratikṛtaṃ manye jvalataḥ kṛṣṇavartmanaḥthus, I think, the blazing fire will be turned aside;
जरितोवाचjaritovācaoriginal form "jaritovāca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आखोर्ākhororiginal form "ākhor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृक्षस्यास्यvṛkṣasyāsyaoriginal form "vṛkṣasyāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वरिताtvaritāoriginal form "tvaritā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वह्नेर्vahneroriginal form "vahner", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वोvooriginal form "vo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽहं'haṃoriginal form "'haṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Jarita said: "Here is a mouse hole in the ground, near this tree; enter it quickly; there you have no fear of the fire; then I shall close the opening with dust, children; thus, I think, the blazing fire will be turned aside."
Version
5f0ef7b518a8 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:20:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the mother devises a last means of rescue. It is telling that Jarita, having not accepted her own death, still seeks how to save her children: love is inventive in the hour of disaster. Thus is revealed the tirelessness of maternal care. Thus the scripture reveals Jarita's plan; but the children will perceive in it another, worse danger.