Mahabharata 2.17.25–27

Rājasūyārambha-parva (jarāsaṃdha-nāmakaraṇa; ṛṣi-bhaviṣya) (The Naming of Jarasandha and the Sage's Prophecy)2.17.25–27

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Mahabharata · 2.17.25–27

॥

Devanāgarī

तस्यास्तां हंसडिभकाव् अशस्त्रनिधनाव् उभौ ॥
मन्त्रे मतिमतां श्रेष्ठौ युद्धशास्त्रविशारदौ ॥
यौ तौ मया ते कथितौ पूर्वम् एव महाबलौ ॥
त्रयस् त्रयाणां लोकानां पर्याप्ता इति मे मतिः ॥
एवम् एष तदा वीर बलिभिः कुकुरान्धकैः ॥
वृष्णिभिश् च महाराज नीतिहेतोर् उपेक्षितः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

tasyāstāṃ haṃsaḍibhakāv aśastranidhanāv ubhau ||
mantre matimatāṃ śreṣṭhau yuddhaśāstraviśāradau ||
yau tau mayā te kathitau pūrvam eva mahābalau ||
trayas trayāṇāṃ lokānāṃ paryāptā iti me matiḥ ||
evam eṣa tadā vīra balibhiḥ kukurāndhakaiḥ ||
vṛṣṇibhiś ca mahārāja nītihetor upekṣitaḥ ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

तस्य आस्ताम् हंस-डिभकौtasya āstām haṃsa-ḍibhakauhe had Hamsa and Dibhaka,

अशस्त्र-निधनौ उभौaśastra-nidhanau ubhauboth [not to perish] by weapons,

मन्त्रे मतिमताम् श्रेष्ठौmantre matimatām śreṣṭhauthe best of the wise in counsel,

युद्ध-शास्त्र-विशारदौyuddha-śāstra-viśāradauskilled in the science of war;

यौ तौ मया ते कथितौyau tau mayā te kathitauthose of whom I have told you

पूर्वम् एव महा-बलौpūrvam eva mahā-balaubefore, the two mighty ones —

त्रयः त्रयाणाम् लोकानाम्trayaḥ trayāṇām lokānāmthree — fit for the three worlds,

पर्याप्ताः इति मे मतिःparyāptāḥ iti me matiḥso is my opinion;

एवम् एषः तदा वीरevam eṣaḥ tadā vīrathus he then, O hero,

बलिभिः कुकुर-अन्धकैःbalibhiḥ kukura-andhakaiḥwas tolerated by the mighty Kukuras and Andhakas

वृष्णिभिः च महा-राजvṛṣṇibhiḥ ca mahā-rājaand by the Vrishnis, O great king,

नीति-हेतोः उपेक्षितःnīti-hetoḥ upekṣitaḥfor the sake of policy.'

तस्यास्तांtasyāstāṃoriginal form "tasyāstāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

हंसडिभकाव्haṃsaḍibhakāvoriginal form "haṃsaḍibhakāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

अशस्त्रनिधनाव्aśastranidhanāvoriginal form "aśastranidhanāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

मतिमतांmatimatāṃoriginal form "matimatāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

युद्धशास्त्रविशारदौyuddhaśāstraviśāradauoriginal form "yuddhaśāstraviśāradau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

महाबलौmahābalauoriginal form "mahābalau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

त्रयस्trayasoriginal form "trayas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

त्रयाणांtrayāṇāṃoriginal form "trayāṇāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

लोकानांlokānāṃoriginal form "lokānāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

पर्याप्ताparyāptāoriginal form "paryāptā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

एषeṣaoriginal form "eṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

कुकुरान्धकैःkukurāndhakaiḥoriginal form "kukurāndhakaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

वृष्णिभिश्vṛṣṇibhiśoriginal form "vṛṣṇibhiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

महाराजmahārājaoriginal form "mahārāja", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

नीतिहेतोर्nītihetororiginal form "nītihetor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage

Translation

'He had Hamsa and Dibhaka, both [not to perish] by weapons, the best of the wise in counsel, skilled in the science of war; those two mighty ones, of whom I have told you before — these three are fit for the three worlds, such is my opinion. Thus he was then, O hero, tolerated by the mighty Kukuras and Andhakas and by the Vrishnis, O great king, for the sake of policy.'

Commentary

Here Krishna explains the long patience of the Vrishnis: it was held not by timidity but by policy — waiting for the right hour. It is significant that wisdom knows how to endure evil until its time without making peace with it: forbearance is not approval but calculation. Scripture thus shows patience as strategy, not weakness; and [next the plan to overthrow the tyrant turns into action].

Version

4df60a90fbcc · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC

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