Mahabharata · 2.13.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
जरासंधं गतस् त्व् एवं पुरा यो न मया हतः ॥
पुरुषोत्तमविज्ञातो यो ऽसौ चेदिषु दुर्मतिः ॥
आत्मानं प्रतिजानाति लोके ऽस्मिन् पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥
आदत्ते सततं मोहाद् यः स चिह्नं च मामकम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jarāsaṃdhaṃ gatas tv evaṃ purā yo na mayā hataḥ ||
puruṣottamavijñāto yo 'sau cediṣu durmatiḥ ||
ātmānaṃ pratijānāti loke 'smin puruṣottamam ||
ādatte satataṃ mohād yaḥ sa cihnaṃ ca māmakam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जरासंधम् गतः तु एवम्jarāsaṃdham gataḥ tu evamhaving thus gone to Jarasandha,
पुरा यः न मया हतःpurā yaḥ na mayā hataḥwhom I did not slay before,
पुरुषोत्तम-विज्ञातःpuruṣottama-vijñātaḥpassing himself off as 'Purushottama',
यः असौ चेदिषु दुर्मतिःyaḥ asau cediṣu durmatiḥthat evil-minded one among the Chedis [Shishupala];
आत्मानम् प्रतिजानातिātmānam pratijānātiproclaims himself
लोके अस्मिन् पुरुषोत्तमम्loke asmin puruṣottamamin this world to be Purushottama,
आदत्ते सततम् मोहात्ādatte satatam mohātcontinually appropriates, out of delusion,
यः सः चिह्नम् च मामकम्yaḥ saḥ cihnam ca māmakamthat one — even my emblem [sign];
जरासंधंjarāsaṃdhaṃoriginal form "jarāsaṃdhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गतस्gatasoriginal form "gatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवंevaṃoriginal form "evaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योyooriginal form "yo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरुषोत्तमविज्ञातोpuruṣottamavijñātooriginal form "puruṣottamavijñāto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योyooriginal form "yo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसौ'sauoriginal form "'sau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आत्मानंātmānaṃoriginal form "ātmānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मिन्'sminoriginal form "'smin", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सततंsatataṃoriginal form "satataṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मोहाद्mohādoriginal form "mohād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिह्नंcihnaṃoriginal form "cihnaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
[There is also] that evil-minded one among the Chedis [Shishupala], who went over to Jarasandha, whom I did not slay before, passing himself off as 'Purushottama': he proclaims himself in this world to be Purushottama and, out of delusion, continually appropriates my very emblem.
Version
5a90b03d28de · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here appears an impostor who appropriates the name and emblems of the Lord. It is telling that pride can go so far as to dress itself in the likeness of God: vanity, having clouded the mind, drives one to imitate the Supreme without attaining His essence. Scripture thus shows counterfeiting the divine as the height of delusion's audacity; and next comes another just like him.