Mahabharata · 2.21.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
तयोर् अथ भुजाघातान् निग्रहप्रग्रहात् तथा ॥
आसीत् सुभीमसंह्रादो वज्रपर्वतयोर् इव ॥
उभौ परमसंहृष्टौ बलेनातिबलाव् उभौ ॥
अन्योन्यस्यान्तरं प्रेप्सू परस्परजयैषिणौ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tayor atha bhujāghātān nigrahapragrahāt tathā ||
āsīt subhīmasaṃhrādo vajraparvatayor iva ||
ubhau paramasaṃhṛṣṭau balenātibalāv ubhau ||
anyonyasyāntaraṃ prepsū parasparajayaiṣiṇau ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तयोर् अथ भुज-आघातान्tayor atha bhuja-āghātānand then, from the blows of their arms,
निग्रह-प्रग्रहात् तथाnigraha-pragrahāt tathāfrom the grapplings and wrenchings,
आसीत् सु-भीम-संह्रादोāsīt su-bhīma-saṃhrādoarose a most fearsome din,
वज्र-पर्वतयोर् इवvajra-parvatayor ivaas from thundering mountains;
उभौ परम-संहृष्टौubhau parama-saṃhṛṣṭauboth exceedingly exultant,
बलेन अतिबलाव् उभौbalena atibalāv ubhauboth surpassing strength with strength,
अन्योन्यस्य अन्तरम् प्रेप्सूanyonyasya antaram prepsūeach eager to find the other's vulnerable spot,
परस्पर-जय-एषिणौparaspara-jaya-eṣiṇauseeking victory over the other.
भुजाघातान्bhujāghātānoriginal form "bhujāghātān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निग्रहप्रग्रहात्nigrahapragrahātoriginal form "nigrahapragrahāt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुभीमसंह्रादोsubhīmasaṃhrādooriginal form "subhīmasaṃhrādo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वज्रपर्वतयोर्vajraparvatayororiginal form "vajraparvatayor", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमसंहृष्टौparamasaṃhṛṣṭauoriginal form "paramasaṃhṛṣṭau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलेनातिबलाव्balenātibalāvoriginal form "balenātibalāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्योन्यस्यान्तरंanyonyasyāntaraṃoriginal form "anyonyasyāntaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परस्परजयैषिणौparasparajayaiṣiṇauoriginal form "parasparajayaiṣiṇau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
And then, from the blows of their arms, from the grapplings and wrenchings, arose a most fearsome din, as of thundering mountains colliding. Both exceedingly exultant, both surpassing strength itself in strength, each strove to find the other's vulnerable spot, seeking victory over his rival.
Version
4634f76bf069 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse depicts an equality in which the outcome seems, as it were, undecidable: strength against equal strength, each seeking the other's 'vulnerable spot' (antaram). It is significant that the battle will be decided not by superiority of might but by the discovery of a breach — and this breach will be opened to Bhima not by his own eye but by the word of Krishna (verses 19–22). Thus truth reveals itself: where strengths are equal, victory belongs to the one granted to see; and the gift of discernment, coming from above, is stronger than strength itself.