Mahabharata · 2.13.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
तं स राजा महाप्राज्ञ संश्रित्य किल सर्वशः ॥
राजन् सेनापतिर् जातः शिशुपालः प्रतापवान् ॥
तम् एव च महाराज शिष्यवत् समुपस्थितः ॥
वक्रः करूषाधिपतिर् मायायोधी महाबलः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
taṃ sa rājā mahāprājña saṃśritya kila sarvaśaḥ ||
rājan senāpatir jātaḥ śiśupālaḥ pratāpavān ||
tam eva ca mahārāja śiṣyavat samupasthitaḥ ||
vakraḥ karūṣādhipatir māyāyodhī mahābalaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम् सः राजा महा-प्राज्ञtam saḥ rājā mahā-prājñato him that king, O most wise,
संश्रित्य किल सर्वशःsaṃśritya kila sarvaśaḥhaving wholly taken refuge,
राजन् सेना-पतिः जातःrājan senā-patiḥ jātaḥO king, became the commander —
शिशुपालः प्रतापवान्śiśupālaḥ pratāpavānthe majestic Shishupala;
तम् एव च महा-राजtam eva ca mahā-rājaand to him too, O great king,
शिष्य-वत् समुपस्थितःśiṣya-vat samupasthitaḥwas appointed, as a disciple,
वक्रः करूष-अधिपतिःvakraḥ karūṣa-adhipatiḥVakra, lord of Karusha,
माया-योधी महा-बलःmāyā-yodhī mahā-balaḥa warrior-sorcerer, mighty;
तंtaṃoriginal form "taṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाप्राज्ञmahāprājñaoriginal form "mahāprājña", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सेनापतिर्senāpatiroriginal form "senāpatir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाराजmahārājaoriginal form "mahārāja", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शिष्यवत्śiṣyavatoriginal form "śiṣyavat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
करूषाधिपतिर्karūṣādhipatiroriginal form "karūṣādhipatir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मायायोधीmāyāyodhīoriginal form "māyāyodhī", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाबलःmahābalaḥoriginal form "mahābalaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
To him the majestic Shishupala wholly took refuge, O most wise, and became his commander; and to him too, O great king, was appointed, as a disciple, Vakra, lord of Karusha, the mighty warrior-sorcerer.
Version
14f4ef9f06e6 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here even valorous men serve a tyrant. It is telling that strength without discernment of good turns to the service of the unrighteous: Shishupala and Vakra, mighty as they are, give their power over to evil. Scripture thus shows that valor ignorant of dharma becomes an instrument of tyranny; and the list of accomplices continues.