SanskritIASTMeaning
तान् उवाच जरासंधःtān uvāca jarāsaṃdhaḥHe said to them, Jarasandha,
सत्य-संधः नर-अधिपःsatya-saṃdhaḥ nara-adhipaḥtrue to his vows, lord of men,
विगर्हमाणः कौरव्यvigarhamāṇaḥ kauravyarebuking, O Kauravya,
वेष-ग्रहण-कारणात्veṣa-grahaṇa-kāraṇātbecause of assuming a [false] disguise:
न स्नातक-व्रताः विप्राःna snātaka-vratāḥ viprāḥ"snataka-vowed brahmins are not
बहिः-माल्य-अनुलेपनाःbahiḥ-mālya-anulepanāḥopenly [seen] in garlands and unguents
भवन्ति इति नृ-लोके अस्मिन्bhavanti iti nṛ-loke asminin this world of men —
विदितम् मम सर्वशःviditam mama sarvaśaḥthis I know full well;
ते यूयम् पुष्पवन्तः चte yūyam puṣpavantaḥ cayet you, wearing flowers,
भुजैः ज्या-घात-लक्षणैःbhujaiḥ jyā-ghāta-lakṣaṇaiḥwith arms marked by the bowstring's blow,
बिभ्रतः क्षात्रम् ओजः चbibhrataḥ kṣātram ojaḥ cabearing kshatriya might,
ब्राह्मण्यम् प्रतिजानथbrāhmaṇyam pratijānatha[still] proclaim yourselves brahmins."
सत्यसंधोsatyasaṃdhooriginal form "satyasaṃdho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नराधिपःnarādhipaḥoriginal form "narādhipaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेषग्रहणकारणात्veṣagrahaṇakāraṇātoriginal form "veṣagrahaṇakāraṇāt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्नातकव्रताsnātakavratāoriginal form "snātakavratā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विप्राviprāoriginal form "viprā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहिर्माल्यानुलेपनाःbahirmālyānulepanāḥoriginal form "bahirmālyānulepanāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवन्तीतिbhavantītioriginal form "bhavantīti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृलोकेnṛlokeoriginal form "nṛloke", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽस्मिन्'sminoriginal form "'smin", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विदितंviditaṃoriginal form "viditaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यूयंyūyaṃoriginal form "yūyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुष्पवन्तश्puṣpavantaśoriginal form "puṣpavantaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भुजैर्bhujairoriginal form "bhujair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्याघातलक्षणैःjyāghātalakṣaṇaiḥoriginal form "jyāghātalakṣaṇaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ओजश्ojaśoriginal form "ojaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मण्यंbrāhmaṇyaṃoriginal form "brāhmaṇyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the tyrant's keen eye exposes their pretense through the marks of the bowstring on their arms. It is telling that deeds reveal one's true nature more surely than clothing: appearance can be changed, but the mark of one's calling remains on the body. Thus the verse shows that true nature cannot be concealed by disguise; what follows is his demand for the truth.