Mahabharata · 2.21.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
वैशंपायन उवाच
ततस् तं निश्चितात्मानं युद्धाय यदुनन्दनः ॥
उवाच वाग्मी राजानं जरासंधम् अधोक्षजः ॥
त्रयाणां केन ते राजन् योद्धुं वितरते मनः ॥
अस्मद् अन्यतमेनेह सज्जीभवतु को युधि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tatas taṃ niścitātmānaṃ yuddhāya yadunandanaḥ ||
uvāca vāgmī rājānaṃ jarāsaṃdham adhokṣajaḥ ||
trayāṇāṃ kena te rājan yoddhuṃ vitarate manaḥ ||
asmad anyatameneha sajjībhavatu ko yudhi ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततस् तम् निश्चितात्मानम्tatas tam niścitātmānamthen that one, [already] resolved,
युद्धाय यदुनन्दनःyuddhāya yadunandanaḥto battle, descendant of Yadu,
उवाच वाग्मी राजानम्uvāca vāgmī rājānamsaid the eloquent one — to the king,
जरासंधम् अधोक्षजःjarāsaṃdham adhokṣajaḥto Jarasandha, Adhokshaja:
त्रयाणाम् केन ते राजन्trayāṇām kena te rājan"of the three, with whom, O king,
योद्धुम् वितरते मनःyoddhum vitarate manaḥdoes your mind incline to fight?
अस्मद् अन्यतमेन इहasmad anyatamena ihawith any one of us here
सज्जी-भवतु कः युधिsajjī-bhavatu kaḥ yudhilet whoever it be make ready for battle?"
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तंtaṃoriginal form "taṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निश्चितात्मानंniścitātmānaṃoriginal form "niścitātmānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजानंrājānaṃoriginal form "rājānaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्रयाणांtrayāṇāṃoriginal form "trayāṇāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योद्धुंyoddhuṃoriginal form "yoddhuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्यतमेनेहanyatamenehaoriginal form "anyatameneha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सज्जीभवतुsajjībhavatuoriginal form "sajjībhavatu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कोkooriginal form "ko", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Vaishampayana said: Then the eloquent Adhokshaja, descendant of Yadu, said to King Jarasandha, who had resolved upon battle: 'With which of the three of us does your mind incline to fight, O king? Which of us should make ready here for battle?'
Version
fc521c6d4f8e · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the Lord, called Adhokshaja — 'beyond the reach of the senses' — appears as the arranger of the duel, not its participant. It is significant that the One who is above all combat so orders things that the glory of victory falls to His devotee: the choice is left to the opponent, but the outcome is preordained from above. The verse teaches that even in the thick of battle it is not the strength of weapons but the will of the Lord of the senses that acts, directing events toward their righteous conclusion.