Mahabharata · 2.17.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
एष श्रियं समुदितां सर्वराज्ञां ग्रहीष्यति ॥
वर्षास्व् इवोद्धतजला नदीर् नदनदीपतिः ॥
एष धारयिता सम्यक् चातुर्वर्ण्यं महाबलः ॥
शुभाशुभम् इव स्फीता सर्वसस्यधरा धरा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
eṣa śriyaṃ samuditāṃ sarvarājñāṃ grahīṣyati ||
varṣāsv ivoddhatajalā nadīr nadanadīpatiḥ ||
eṣa dhārayitā samyak cāturvarṇyaṃ mahābalaḥ ||
śubhāśubham iva sphītā sarvasasyadharā dharā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एषः श्रियम् समुदिताम्eṣaḥ śriyam samuditāmhe will seize the swollen [grown] fortune [wealth]
सर्व-राज्ञाम् ग्रहीष्यतिsarva-rājñām grahīṣyatiof all kings,
वर्षासु इव उद्धत-जलाःvarṣāsu iva uddhata-jalāḥas, in the rains, the lord of rivers and streams [the ocean seizes] the water-swollen
नदीः नद-नदी-पतिःnadīḥ nada-nadī-patiḥrivers;
एषः धारयिता सम्यक्eṣaḥ dhārayitā samyakhe, the mighty one, will uphold as is proper
चातुर्-वर्ण्यम् महा-बलःcātur-varṇyam mahā-balaḥthe four estates,
शुभ-अशुभम् इव स्फीताśubha-aśubham iva sphītāas the abundant earth, bearing all grain,
सर्व-सस्य-धरा धराsarva-sasya-dharā dharā[bears] both good and evil;
एषeṣaoriginal form "eṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रियंśriyaṃoriginal form "śriyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समुदितांsamuditāṃoriginal form "samuditāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वराज्ञांsarvarājñāṃoriginal form "sarvarājñāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वर्षास्व्varṣāsvoriginal form "varṣāsv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवोद्धतजलाivoddhatajalāoriginal form "ivoddhatajalā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नदीर्nadīroriginal form "nadīr", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नदनदीपतिःnadanadīpatiḥoriginal form "nadanadīpatiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एषeṣaoriginal form "eṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चातुर्वर्ण्यंcāturvarṇyaṃoriginal form "cāturvarṇyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाबलःmahābalaḥoriginal form "mahābalaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुभाशुभम्śubhāśubhamoriginal form "śubhāśubham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वसस्यधराsarvasasyadharāoriginal form "sarvasasyadharā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
'He will seize the swollen fortune [wealth] of all kings, as the lord of rivers and streams [the ocean seizes] the rivers swollen with water in the rains; and he, the mighty one, will uphold the four estates as is proper, as the abundant earth, bearing all grain, [bears] both good and evil.'
Version
3def594d5a15 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here, amid the grim portents, something good is also said: he will 'uphold the four estates as is proper.' It is significant that even in the tyrant there was strength for good rule — but he turned it to evil: a gift capable of upholding order was made to serve oppression. Scripture thus shows that greatness without dharma is ruinous; and next comes his universal command.