Mahabharata · 2.12.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
स तु राजा महाप्राज्ञः पुनर् एवात्मनात्मवान् ॥
भूयो विममृशे पार्थो लोकानां हितकाम्यया ॥
सामर्थ्ययोगं संप्रेक्ष्य देशकालौ व्ययागमौ ॥
विमृश्य सम्यक् च धिया कुर्वन् प्राज्ञो न सीदति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tu rājā mahāprājñaḥ punar evātmanātmavān ||
bhūyo vimamṛśe pārtho lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā ||
sāmarthyayogaṃ saṃprekṣya deśakālau vyayāgamau ||
vimṛśya samyak ca dhiyā kurvan prājño na sīdati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः तु राजा महा-प्राज्ञःsaḥ tu rājā mahā-prājñaḥbut that king, of great wisdom,
पुनः एव आत्मना आत्म-वान्punaḥ eva ātmanā ātma-vānagain, by himself, master of himself,
भूयः विममृशे पार्थःbhūyaḥ vimamṛśe pārthaḥreflected once more, O Partha [Janamejaya],
लोकानाम् हित-काम्ययाlokānām hita-kāmyayāout of desire for the good of the worlds;
सामर्थ्य-योगम् संप्रेक्ष्यsāmarthya-yogam saṃprekṣyahaving weighed his own capacity,
देश-कालौ व्यय-आगमौdeśa-kālau vyaya-āgamauplace and time, expenditure and income,
विमृश्य सम्यक् च धियाvimṛśya samyak ca dhiyāand having deliberated well with his intellect,
कुर्वन् प्राज्ञः न सीदतिkurvan prājñaḥ na sīdatiacting thus, the wise man meets no ruin;
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाप्राज्ञःmahāprājñaḥoriginal form "mahāprājñaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुनर्punaroriginal form "punar", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवात्मनात्मवान्evātmanātmavānoriginal form "evātmanātmavān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूयोbhūyooriginal form "bhūyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्थोpārthooriginal form "pārtho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लोकानांlokānāṃoriginal form "lokānāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हितकाम्ययाhitakāmyayāoriginal form "hitakāmyayā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सामर्थ्ययोगंsāmarthyayogaṃoriginal form "sāmarthyayogaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देशकालौdeśakālauoriginal form "deśakālau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्ययागमौvyayāgamauoriginal form "vyayāgamau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राज्ञोprājñooriginal form "prājño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"But that king of great wisdom, master of himself, reflected once more by himself, O Partha, out of desire for the good of the worlds; for, having weighed [his] capacity, place and time, expenditure and income, and having deliberated well with his intellect, the wise man, acting thus, meets no ruin."
Version
a78ff833ddec · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is disclosed the rule of wise action: to weigh strength, time, place, and means. It is telling that even a holy undertaking requires sober calculation: piety does not annul prudence but crowns it. Thus the scripture shows that "he who has deliberated well meets no ruin"; and further — to whom the king turns for resolve.