Mahabharata · 2.16.30–31
॥
Devanāgarī
उवाच च महाप्राज्ञस् तं राजानं महामुनिः ॥
गच्छ राजन् कृतार्थो ऽसि निवर्त मनुजाधिप ॥
यथासमयम् आज्ञाय तदा स नृपसत्तमः ॥
द्वाभ्याम् एकं फलं प्रादात् पत्नीभ्यां भरतर्षभ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
uvāca ca mahāprājñas taṃ rājānaṃ mahāmuniḥ ||
gaccha rājan kṛtārtho 'si nivarta manujādhipa ||
yathāsamayam ājñāya tadā sa nṛpasattamaḥ ||
dvābhyām ekaṃ phalaṃ prādāt patnībhyāṃ bharatarṣabha ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
उवाच च महा-प्राज्ञःuvāca ca mahā-prājñaḥand the greatly wise one said
तम् राजानम् महा-मुनिःtam rājānam mahā-muniḥto that king, the great sage:
गच्छ राजन् कृत-अर्थः असिgaccha rājan kṛta-arthaḥ asi"go, O king, you have attained [your goal];
निवर्त मनुज-अधिपnivarta manuja-adhipareturn, O lord of men";
यथा-समयम् आज्ञायyathā-samayam ājñāyaremembering the agreement,
तदा सः नृप-सत्तमःtadā saḥ nṛpa-sattamaḥthen that best of kings
द्वाभ्याम् एकम् फलम् प्रादात्dvābhyām ekam phalam prādātgave the single fruit to the two —
पत्नीभ्याम् भरत-ऋषभpatnībhyām bharata-ṛṣabha[his both] wives, O bull of the Bharatas;
महाप्राज्ञस्mahāprājñasoriginal form "mahāprājñas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तंtaṃoriginal form "taṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजानंrājānaṃoriginal form "rājānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महामुनिःmahāmuniḥoriginal form "mahāmuniḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृतार्थोkṛtārthooriginal form "kṛtārtho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसि'sioriginal form "'si", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनुजाधिपmanujādhipaoriginal form "manujādhipa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथासमयम्yathāsamayamoriginal form "yathāsamayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपसत्तमःnṛpasattamaḥoriginal form "nṛpasattamaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकंekaṃoriginal form "ekaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
फलंphalaṃoriginal form "phalaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पत्नीभ्यांpatnībhyāṃoriginal form "patnībhyāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भरतर्षभbharatarṣabhaoriginal form "bharatarṣabha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And the great, most wise sage said to that king: 'Go, O king, you have attained your goal; return, O lord of men.' And that best of kings, remembering the agreement, gave the single fruit to both his wives, O bull of the Bharatas."
Version
c2e71b9def24 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here fidelity to an agreement of equality turns into a strange outcome: the king divides a single fruit in two. It is significant that strict justice, unmindful of measure, leads to something extraordinary: a gift meant for one is split, and so its fruit will itself be split. The verse quietly suggests that even a good rule, applied without discernment, produces a strange result; and next comes the birth in two halves.