Mahabharata · 2.20.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
ते त्वां ज्ञातिक्षयकरं वयम् आर्तानुसारिणः ॥
ज्ञातिवृद्धिनिमित्तार्थं विनियन्तुम् इहागताः ॥
नास्ति लोके पुमान् अन्यः क्षत्रियेष्व् इति चैव यत् ॥
मन्यसे स च ते राजन् सुमहान् बुद्धिविप्लवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
te tvāṃ jñātikṣayakaraṃ vayam ārtānusāriṇaḥ ||
jñātivṛddhinimittārthaṃ viniyantum ihāgatāḥ ||
nāsti loke pumān anyaḥ kṣatriyeṣv iti caiva yat ||
manyase sa ca te rājan sumahān buddhiviplavaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ते त्वाम् ज्ञाति-क्षय-करम्te tvām jñāti-kṣaya-karamyou, destroyer of kinsmen [the kings],
वयम् आर्त-अनुसारिणःvayam ārta-anusāriṇaḥwe, protectors of the afflicted,
ज्ञाति-वृद्धि-निमित्त-अर्थम्jñāti-vṛddhi-nimitta-arthamfor the sake of [these] kinsmen's [kings'] welfare
विनियन्तुम् इह आगताःviniyantum iha āgatāḥhave come here to restrain;
न अस्ति लोके पुमान् अन्यःna asti loke pumān anyaḥ'there is no other man in the world
क्षत्रियेषु इति च एव यत्kṣatriyeṣu iti ca eva yatamong kshatriyas [equal to me]' — that which
मन्यसे सः च ते राजन्manyase saḥ ca te rājanyou think, that, O king, is in you
सु-महान् बुद्धि-विप्लवःsu-mahān buddhi-viplavaḥa very great derangement of intellect;
त्वांtvāṃoriginal form "tvāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्ञातिक्षयकरंjñātikṣayakaraṃoriginal form "jñātikṣayakaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आर्तानुसारिणःārtānusāriṇaḥoriginal form "ārtānusāriṇaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्ञातिवृद्धिनिमित्तार्थंjñātivṛddhinimittārthaṃoriginal form "jñātivṛddhinimittārthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इहागताःihāgatāḥoriginal form "ihāgatāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नास्तिnāstioriginal form "nāsti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियेष्व्kṣatriyeṣvoriginal form "kṣatriyeṣv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुमहान्sumahānoriginal form "sumahān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बुद्धिविप्लवःbuddhiviplavaḥoriginal form "buddhiviplavaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
“You, destroyer of kinsmen, we, protectors of the afflicted, have come here to restrain for the sake of these kinsmen's welfare. And your thought that ‘there is no other man in the world among kshatriyas equal to me’ — that, O king, is a very great derangement of your intellect.”
Version
3d51bd73b82e · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the purpose of their coming is named — championing the afflicted. It is telling that the Lord and His devotees are 'protectors of the afflicted': where the defenseless perish, deliverance appears. And the root of evil is exposed — pride that considers itself unequaled. Thus scripture shows the defense of the oppressed as a divine work; what follows concerns the heaven of the kshatriya.