Mahabharata · 2.18.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
त्रिभिर् आसादितो ऽस्माभिर् विजने स नराधिपः ॥
न संदेहो यथा युद्धम् एकेनाभ्युपयास्यति ॥
अवमानाच् च लोकस्य व्यायतत्वाच् च धर्षितः ॥
भीमसेनेन युद्धाय ध्रुवम् अभ्युपयास्यति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tribhir āsādito 'smābhir vijane sa narādhipaḥ ||
na saṃdeho yathā yuddham ekenābhyupayāsyati ||
avamānāc ca lokasya vyāyatatvāc ca dharṣitaḥ ||
bhīmasenena yuddhāya dhruvam abhyupayāsyati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
त्रिभिः आसादितः अस्माभिःtribhiḥ āsāditaḥ asmābhiḥcaught by us three,
विजने सः नर-अधिपःvijane saḥ nara-adhipaḥin a lonely place, that lord of men,
न संदेहः यथा युद्धम्na saṃdehaḥ yathā yuddhamthere is no doubt that to battle
एकेन अभ्युपयास्यतिekena abhyupayāsyatihe will come out against one [of us];
अवमानात् च लोकस्यavamānāt ca lokasyafrom contempt of the world [pride]
व्यायतत्वात् च धर्षितःvyāyatatvāt ca dharṣitaḥand provoked by [awareness of] his own might,
भीमसेनेन युद्धायbhīmasenena yuddhāyawith Bhimasena to battle
ध्रुवम् अभ्युपयास्यतिdhruvam abhyupayāsyatihe will surely come out;
त्रिभिर्tribhiroriginal form "tribhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसादितोāsāditooriginal form "āsādito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्माभिर्'smābhiroriginal form "'smābhir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नराधिपःnarādhipaḥoriginal form "narādhipaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संदेहोsaṃdehooriginal form "saṃdeho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकेनाभ्युपयास्यतिekenābhyupayāsyatioriginal form "ekenābhyupayāsyati", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अवमानाच्avamānācoriginal form "avamānāc", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यायतत्वाच्vyāyatatvācoriginal form "vyāyatatvāc", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Caught by us three in a lonely place, that lord of men will, without doubt, come out to battle against one [of us]; from contempt of the world and pride in his own might, provoked, he will surely come out to battle against Bhimasena."
Version
361c71d8983d · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the enemy's pride is turned into a weapon against him. It is significant that the tyrant, who scorns others, will himself choose single combat, imagining himself invincible: arrogance blinds and leads to ruin. Thus scripture shows that pride is a trap for the proud; and further on -- Bhima is named as his death.