Mahabharata · 2.20.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
राजा राज्ञः कथं साधून् हिंस्यान् नृपतिसत्तम ॥
तद् राज्ञः संनिगृह्य त्वं रुद्रायोपजिहीर्षसि ॥
अस्मांस् तद् एनो गच्छेत त्वया बार्हद्रथे कृतम् ॥
वयं हि शक्ता धर्मस्य रक्षणे धर्मचारिणः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rājā rājñaḥ kathaṃ sādhūn hiṃsyān nṛpatisattama ||
tad rājñaḥ saṃnigṛhya tvaṃ rudrāyopajihīrṣasi ||
asmāṃs tad eno gaccheta tvayā bārhadrathe kṛtam ||
vayaṃ hi śaktā dharmasya rakṣaṇe dharmacāriṇaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
राजा राज्ञः कथम् साधून्rājā rājñaḥ katham sādhūnhow could a king destroy
हिंस्यात् नृपति-सत्तमhiṃsyāt nṛpati-sattamagood kings, O best of kings?
तत् राज्ञः संनिगृह्य त्वम्tat rājñaḥ saṃnigṛhya tvamhaving imprisoned those kings, you
रुद्राय उपजिहीर्षसिrudrāya upajihīrṣasiwish to offer [them in sacrifice] to Rudra;
अस्मान् तत् एनः गच्छेतasmān tat enaḥ gacchetathat sin would fall upon us,
त्वया बार्हद्रथे कृतम्tvayā bārhadrathe kṛtamcommitted by you, O son of Brihadratha, —
वयम् हि शक्ताः धर्मस्यvayam hi śaktāḥ dharmasyafor we are able
रक्षणे धर्म-चारिणःrakṣaṇe dharma-cāriṇaḥto protect dharma, [we] who walk in dharma;
कथंkathaṃoriginal form "kathaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिंस्यान्hiṃsyānoriginal form "hiṃsyān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपतिसत्तमnṛpatisattamaoriginal form "nṛpatisattama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुद्रायोपजिहीर्षसिrudrāyopajihīrṣasioriginal form "rudrāyopajihīrṣasi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्मांस्asmāṃsoriginal form "asmāṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एनोenooriginal form "eno", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयंvayaṃoriginal form "vayaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शक्ताśaktāoriginal form "śaktā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मचारिणःdharmacāriṇaḥoriginal form "dharmacāriṇaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
“How could a king destroy good kings, O best of kings? Yet you, having imprisoned those kings, wish to offer them in sacrifice to Rudra. That sin, committed by you, O son of Brihadratha, would fall upon us as well — for we, who walk in dharma, are able to protect dharma.”
Version
45ba32efa15f · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is shown the duty of the witness to evil: one who is able to stop it and does not becomes an accomplice. It is telling that Krishna says 'that sin would fall on us too' — whoever can halt a wrongdoing and fails to do so shares in the guilt. Thus scripture shows that silent tolerance of evil is complicity in it; what follows concerns the abomination of human sacrifice.