Mahabharata · 2.22.25–26
॥
Devanāgarī
न स सज्जति वृक्षेषु शस्त्रैश् चापि न रिष्यते ॥
दिव्यो ध्वजवरो राजन् दृश्यते देवमानुषैः ॥
तम् आस्थाय रथं दिव्यं पर्जन्यसमनिस्वनम् ॥
निर्ययौ पुरुषव्याघ्रः पाण्डवाभ्यां सहाच्युतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
na sa sajjati vṛkṣeṣu śastraiś cāpi na riṣyate ||
divyo dhvajavaro rājan dṛśyate devamānuṣaiḥ ||
tam āsthāya rathaṃ divyaṃ parjanyasamanisvanam ||
niryayau puruṣavyāghraḥ pāṇḍavābhyāṃ sahācyutaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न स सज्जति वृक्षेषुna sa sajjati vṛkṣeṣuit does not catch on trees,
शस्त्रैश् च अपि न रिष्यतेśastraiś ca api na riṣyatenor is it damaged by weapons —
दिव्यो ध्वज-वरो राजन्divyo dhvaja-varo rājandivine, the best of banners, O king,
दृश्यते देव-मानुषैःdṛśyate deva-mānuṣaiḥvisible to gods and men;
तम् आस्थाय रथं दिव्यंtam āsthāya rathaṃ divyaṃhaving mounted that wondrous chariot,
पर्जन्य-सम-निस्वनम्parjanya-sama-nisvanamresembling a thundercloud in its roar,
निर्ययौ पुरुष-व्याघ्रःniryayau puruṣa-vyāghraḥthe tiger among men rode forth,
पाण्डवाभ्यां सह अच्युतःpāṇḍavābhyāṃ saha acyutaḥAchyuta, with the two Pandavas.
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ध्वजवरोdhvajavarooriginal form "dhvajavaro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवमानुषैःdevamānuṣaiḥoriginal form "devamānuṣaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पर्जन्यसमनिस्वनम्parjanyasamanisvanamoriginal form "parjanyasamanisvanam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरुषव्याघ्रःpuruṣavyāghraḥoriginal form "puruṣavyāghraḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहाच्युतःsahācyutaḥoriginal form "sahācyutaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
It does not catch on trees, nor is it damaged by weapons — divine, the best of banners, O king, visible to gods and men. Having mounted that wondrous chariot, resounding like a thundercloud, the tiger among men, Achyuta, rode forth together with the two Pandavas.
Version
da82671bb7bf · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The banner that "does not catch" and "is not damaged by weapons" is an image of the imperishable amid the perishable: nothing earthly can hold back or harm what is overshadowed by the Lord. The name Achyuta is significant — "unfallen, unfailing": as He Himself is unshaken, so is everything that is with Him. The verse teaches that under the Supreme's shelter an invulnerability is attained that no armor can give; and whoever is with Achyuta shares in his imperishability.