Mahabharata · 2.15.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
कृतवीर्यकुले जातो निर्वीर्यः किं करिष्यति ॥
क्षत्रियः सर्वशो राजन् यस्य वृत्तिः पराजये ॥
सर्वैर् अपि गुणैर् हीनो वीर्यवान् हि तरेद् रिपून् ॥
सर्वैर् अपि गुणैर् युक्तो निर्वीर्यः किं करिष्यति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kṛtavīryakule jāto nirvīryaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
kṣatriyaḥ sarvaśo rājan yasya vṛttiḥ parājaye ||
sarvair api guṇair hīno vīryavān hi tared ripūn ||
sarvair api guṇair yukto nirvīryaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कृतवीर्य-कुले जातःkṛtavīrya-kule jātaḥborn in the family of Kritavirya,
निर्वीर्यः किम् करिष्यतिnirvīryaḥ kim kariṣyati[but] powerless—what will he do?
क्षत्रियः सर्वशः राजन्kṣatriyaḥ sarvaśaḥ rājana kshatriya entirely, O king,
यस्य वृत्तिः पराजयेyasya vṛttiḥ parājayewhose lot is in defeat [is futile];
सर्वैः अपि गुणैः हीनःsarvaiḥ api guṇaiḥ hīnaḥ[though] devoid of all virtues,
वीर्य-वान् हि तरेद् रिपून्vīrya-vān hi tared ripūnthe valorous will overcome his enemies;
सर्वैः अपि गुणैः युक्तःsarvaiḥ api guṇaiḥ yuktaḥ[though] endowed with all virtues,
निर्वीर्यः किम् करिष्यतिnirvīryaḥ kim kariṣyati[but] powerless—what will he do?
कृतवीर्यकुलेkṛtavīryakuleoriginal form "kṛtavīryakule", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जातोjātooriginal form "jāto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form "kiṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वशोsarvaśooriginal form "sarvaśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैर्sarvairoriginal form "sarvair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गुणैर्guṇairoriginal form "guṇair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हीनोhīnooriginal form "hīno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वीर्यवान्vīryavānoriginal form "vīryavān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैर्sarvairoriginal form "sarvair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गुणैर्guṇairoriginal form "guṇair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
युक्तोyuktooriginal form "yukto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form "kiṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"What will one born in the family of Kritavirya do, if he is powerless? A kshatriya whose whole lot is defeat is futile in everything. [Even] devoid of every other virtue, the valorous man will overcome his enemies; but one endowed with every virtue, if powerless—what will he do?"
Version
93a13795ee87 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here valor is named as decisive: without it, every other virtue bears no fruit. Tellingly, Arjuna does not exalt strength above dharma but points out that without active might, virtues cannot serve the cause. Scripture thus shows that good qualities bear fruit only joined with resolve; what follows is the image of valor as a vessel.