Mahabharata · 2.21.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः संमन्त्र्य कृष्णेन कृतस्वस्त्ययनो बली ॥
भीमसेनो जरासंधम् आससाद युयुत्सया ॥
ततस् तौ नरशार्दूलौ बाहुशस्त्रौ समीयतुः ॥
वीरौ परमसंहृष्टाव् अन्योन्यजयकाङ्क्षिणौ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ saṃmantrya kṛṣṇena kṛtasvastyayano balī ||
bhīmaseno jarāsaṃdham āsasāda yuyutsayā ||
tatas tau naraśārdūlau bāhuśastrau samīyatuḥ ||
vīrau paramasaṃhṛṣṭāv anyonyajayakāṅkṣiṇau ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः संमन्त्र्य कृष्णेनtataḥ saṃmantrya kṛṣṇenathen, having taken counsel with Krishna,
कृत-स्वस्त्ययनः बलीkṛta-svastyayanaḥ balīblessed, the mighty one,
भीमसेनो जरासंधम्bhīmaseno jarāsaṃdhamBhimasena, toward Jarasandha,
आससाद युयुत्सयाāsasāda yuyutsayāadvanced with eagerness for battle;
ततस् तौ नर-शार्दूलौtatas tau nara-śārdūlauthen both tigers among men,
बाहु-शस्त्रौ समीयतुःbāhu-śastrau samīyatuḥwhose weapons were [their own] arms, closed in,
वीरौ परम-संहृष्टौvīrau parama-saṃhṛṣṭauheroes, exceedingly exultant,
अन्योन्य-जय-काङ्क्षिणौanyonya-jaya-kāṅkṣiṇaueach craving victory over the other.
कृतस्वस्त्ययनोkṛtasvastyayanooriginal form "kṛtasvastyayano", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नरशार्दूलौnaraśārdūlauoriginal form "naraśārdūlau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बाहुशस्त्रौbāhuśastrauoriginal form "bāhuśastrau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमसंहृष्टाव्paramasaṃhṛṣṭāvoriginal form "paramasaṃhṛṣṭāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्योन्यजयकाङ्क्षिणौanyonyajayakāṅkṣiṇauoriginal form "anyonyajayakāṅkṣiṇau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Then, having taken counsel with Krishna and received his blessing, the mighty Bhimasena, eager for battle, closed with Jarasandha. And so those two tigers among men, whose only weapons were their own arms, drew together — heroes, exceedingly exultant, each craving victory over the other.
Version
20b167077ae2 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is significant that Bhima goes forth to battle only 'having taken counsel with Krishna': even the mightiest of mortals does not rely on his own strength alone, but acts by the word of the Lord. Thus the order of devotional service reveals itself — the arm labors, but the will of the Supreme directs it. The unarmed nature of the duel — bare hands against hands — lays bare that the outcome will be decided not by steel but by the one to whom the labor is entrusted: victory is granted from above to the one who has surrendered, not wrested by force from fate.