Mahabharata · 2.15.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
जरासंधविनाशं च राज्ञां च परिमोक्षणम् ॥
यदि कुर्याम यज्ञार्थं किं ततः परमं भवेत् ॥
अनारम्भे तु नियतो भवेद् अगुणनिश्चयः ॥
गुणान् निःसंशयाद् राजन् नैर्गुण्यं मन्यसे कथम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jarāsaṃdhavināśaṃ ca rājñāṃ ca parimokṣaṇam ||
yadi kuryāma yajñārthaṃ kiṃ tataḥ paramaṃ bhavet ||
anārambhe tu niyato bhaved aguṇaniścayaḥ ||
guṇān niḥsaṃśayād rājan nairguṇyaṃ manyase katham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जरासंध-विनाशम् चjarāsaṃdha-vināśam caJarasandha's destruction
राज्ञाम् च परिमोक्षणम्rājñām ca parimokṣaṇamand the deliverance of the kings
यदि कुर्याम यज्ञ-अर्थम्yadi kuryāma yajña-arthamif we accomplish for the sake of the sacrifice,
किम् ततः परमम् भवेत्kim tataḥ paramam bhavetwhat could be higher than that?
अनारम्भे तु नियतःanārambhe tu niyataḥbut in inaction, inevitably,
भवेत् अ-गुण-निश्चयःbhavet a-guṇa-niścayaḥthere would be a verdict of [our] worthlessness;
गुणात् निःसंशयात् राजन्guṇāt niḥsaṃśayāt rājanwith [manifest] merit beyond doubt, O king,
नैर्गुण्यम् मन्यसे कथम्nairguṇyam manyase kathamhow can you think [yourself] worthless?
जरासंधविनाशंjarāsaṃdhavināśaṃoriginal form "jarāsaṃdhavināśaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्ञांrājñāṃoriginal form "rājñāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यज्ञार्थंyajñārthaṃoriginal form "yajñārthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंkiṃoriginal form "kiṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमंparamaṃoriginal form "paramaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नियतोniyatooriginal form "niyato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवेद्bhavedoriginal form "bhaved", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अगुणनिश्चयःaguṇaniścayaḥoriginal form "aguṇaniścayaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गुणान्guṇānoriginal form "guṇān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निःसंशयाद्niḥsaṃśayādoriginal form "niḥsaṃśayād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैर्गुण्यंnairguṇyaṃoriginal form "nairguṇyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"If for the sake of the sacrifice we bring about Jarasandha's destruction and the deliverance of the kings—what could be higher than that? But in inaction, a verdict of [our] worthlessness would be inevitable; with [our] merit beyond doubt, O king, how can you think of yourself as worthless?"
Version
444835195212 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the good deed is raised above all else: what is higher than delivering the perishing? Tellingly, Arjuna rebukes inaction as false worthlessness: refusing one's duty, [when] capable of it, would be a slander against one's own strength. Scripture thus shows that shrinking from a good deed while able is self-slander; what follows concerns the proper time for renunciation.