Mahabharata · 2.23.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
अर्जुन उवाच
कुरूणाम् ऋषभो राजा धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥
तस्य पार्थिवताम् ईप्से करस् तस्मै प्रदीयताम् ॥
भवान् पितृसखा चैव प्रीयमाणो मयापि च ॥
ततो नाज्ञापयामि त्वां प्रीतिपूर्वं प्रदीयताम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
arjuna uvāca
kurūṇām ṛṣabho rājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
tasya pārthivatām īpse karas tasmai pradīyatām ||
bhavān pitṛsakhā caiva prīyamāṇo mayāpi ca ||
tato nājñāpayāmi tvāṃ prītipūrvaṃ pradīyatām ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कुरूणाम् ऋषभो राजाkurūṇām ṛṣabho rājā"the bull [among] the Kurus, the king,
धर्म-पुत्रो युधिष्ठिरःdharma-putro yudhiṣṭhiraḥthe son of Dharma, Yudhishthira —
तस्य पार्थिवताम् ईप्सेtasya pārthivatām īpsehis sovereignty over the whole world I desire;
करस् तस्मै प्रदीयताम्karas tasmai pradīyatāmlet tribute be given to him;
भवान् पितृ-सखा चैवbhavān pitṛ-sakhā caivayou are indeed the friend of [my] father,
प्रीयमाणो मया अपि चprīyamāṇo mayā api caand dear also to me;
ततो न आज्ञापयामि त्वांtato na ājñāpayāmi tvāṃtherefore I do not command you —
प्रीति-पूर्वं प्रदीयताम्prīti-pūrvaṃ pradīyatāmlet [the tribute] be given with love."
अर्जुनarjunaoriginal form "arjuna", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मपुत्रोdharmaputrooriginal form "dharmaputro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितृसखाpitṛsakhāoriginal form "pitṛsakhā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मयापिmayāpioriginal form "mayāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नाज्ञापयामिnājñāpayāmioriginal form "nājñāpayāmi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रीतिपूर्वंprītipūrvaṃoriginal form "prītipūrvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"The bull among the Kurus, the king, the son of Dharma, Yudhishthira — his sovereignty over the whole world I desire; let tribute be given to him. You are indeed the friend of my father, and dear to me as well; therefore I do not command you — let it be given with love."
Version
4a4a39bf6968 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna does not appropriate the victory for himself: the tribute is not his but Yudhishthira's; the conquest serves the elder's sovereignty over the world, not his own glory. It is notable, too, that the victor does not command but asks "with love," honoring in the defeated a friend of his father. Thus conquest without arrogance shows itself — where strength bows before kinship and affection. The verse teaches that the fruit of victory is offered up to the head for the common cause, and that authority softened by love is more enduring than authority held by fear.