Mahabharata · 2.22.37–38
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः प्रतीतमनसस् ते नृपा भरतर्षभ ॥
तथेत्य् एवाब्रुवन् सर्वे प्रतिजज्ञुश् च तां गिरम् ॥
रत्नभाजं च दाशार्हं चक्रुस् ते पृथिवीश्वराः ॥
कृच्छ्राज् जग्राह गोविन्दस् तेषां तदनुकम्पया ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pratītamanasas te nṛpā bharatarṣabha ||
tathety evābruvan sarve pratijajñuś ca tāṃ giram ||
ratnabhājaṃ ca dāśārhaṃ cakrus te pṛthivīśvarāḥ ||
kṛcchrāj jagrāha govindas teṣāṃ tadanukampayā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः प्रतीत-मनसस्tataḥ pratīta-manasasthen with glad hearts
ते नृपा भरतर्षभte nṛpā bharatarṣabhathose kings, O bull of the Bharatas,
तथ इत्य् एव अब्रुवन् सर्वेtatha ity eva abruvan sarve"so be it" -- all said,
प्रतिजज्ञुश् च तां गिरम्pratijajñuś ca tāṃ giramand pledged that word;
रत्न-भाजं च दाशार्हंratna-bhājaṃ ca dāśārhaṃand a sharer in jewels, Dasharha,
चक्रुस् ते पृथिवी-ईश्वराःcakrus te pṛthivī-īśvarāḥthose lords of the earth made him;
कृच्छ्राज् जग्राह गोविन्दस्kṛcchrāj jagrāha govindaswith difficulty Govinda accepted
तेषां तद्-अनुकम्पयाteṣāṃ tad-anukampayā[the gifts,] out of compassion for them.
प्रतीतमनसस्pratītamanasasoriginal form "pratītamanasas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथेत्य्tathetyoriginal form "tathety", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवाब्रुवन्evābruvanoriginal form "evābruvan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रत्नभाजंratnabhājaṃoriginal form "ratnabhājaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृथिवीश्वराःpṛthivīśvarāḥoriginal form "pṛthivīśvarāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदनुकम्पयाtadanukampayāoriginal form "tadanukampayā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Then, with glad hearts, those kings, O bull of the Bharatas, all said, "so be it," and pledged to fulfill that word. And the lords of the earth made Dasharha [Krishna] a sharer in their jewels; Govinda accepted their gifts only with difficulty, out of compassion for them.
Version
7a69e659b52d · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Govinda accepts the gifts "with difficulty" and only "out of compassion" -- not out of need, for what could an offering add to Fullness? It is telling that the Lord condescends to accept, seeing the need of the givers themselves to pour out their gratitude: a refusal would have grieved them. Thus mercy shows itself turned not toward the profit of the Receiver but toward the heart of the giver. The verse teaches that the Supreme accepts our offering for our own sake -- to give love an outlet, not because he himself lacks anything.