Mahabharata · 2.13.22–23
॥
Devanāgarī
प्रियाण्य् आचरतः प्रह्वान् सदा संबन्धिनः सतः ॥
भजतो न भजत्य् अस्मान् अप्रियेषु व्यवस्थितः ॥
न कुलं न बलं राजन्न् अभिजानंस् तथात्मनः ॥
पश्यमानो यशो दीप्तं जरासंधम् उपाश्रितः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
priyāṇy ācarataḥ prahvān sadā saṃbandhinaḥ sataḥ ||
bhajato na bhajaty asmān apriyeṣu vyavasthitaḥ ||
na kulaṃ na balaṃ rājann abhijānaṃs tathātmanaḥ ||
paśyamāno yaśo dīptaṃ jarāsaṃdham upāśritaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रियाणि आचरतः प्रह्वान्priyāṇi ācarataḥ prahvānto us, who act pleasingly, submissive,
सदा संबन्धिनः सतःsadā saṃbandhinaḥ sataḥever kindred, virtuous,
भजतः न भजति अस्मान्bhajataḥ na bhajati asmāndevoted, he does not return affection,
अप्रियेषु व्यवस्थितःapriyeṣu vyavasthitaḥremaining hostile;
न कुलम् न बलम् राजन्na kulam na balam rājanneither lineage nor strength, O king,
अभिजानन् तथा आत्मनःabhijānan tathā ātmanaḥnot properly recognizing his own,
पश्यमानः यशः दीप्तम्paśyamānaḥ yaśaḥ dīptamseeing [only] blazing glory,
जरासंधम् उपाश्रितःjarāsaṃdham upāśritaḥtook refuge with Jarasandha;
प्रियाण्य्priyāṇyoriginal form "priyāṇy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भजतोbhajatooriginal form "bhajato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भजत्य्bhajatyoriginal form "bhajaty", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुलंkulaṃoriginal form "kulaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलंbalaṃoriginal form "balaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजन्न्rājannoriginal form "rājann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अभिजानंस्abhijānaṃsoriginal form "abhijānaṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथात्मनःtathātmanaḥoriginal form "tathātmanaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पश्यमानोpaśyamānooriginal form "paśyamāno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यशोyaśooriginal form "yaśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दीप्तंdīptaṃoriginal form "dīptaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
To us, who act pleasingly toward him, submissive, ever kindred, virtuous, and devoted, he does not return affection, remaining hostile; not properly recognizing either his own lineage or his own strength, but seeing only the blazing glory [of Jarasandha], he took refuge with him.
Version
4dfbe7b980e8 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here ingratitude, seduced by another's glitter, is exposed. It is telling that [Bhishmaka] abandons good kinsmen for the shine of a tyrant: vanity is drawn to the glory of the strong without discerning its wrongness. Scripture thus shows how the glitter of power blinds one to goodness; and next comes the flight of peoples from the tyrant.