Mahabharata · 2.25.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं स पुरुषव्याघ्रो विजिग्ये दिशम् उत्तराम् ॥
संग्रामान् सुबहून् कृत्वा क्षत्रियैर् दस्युभिस् तथा ॥
स विनिर्जित्य राज्ञस् तान् करे च विनिवेश्य ह ॥
धनान्य् आदाय सर्वेभ्यो रत्नानि विविधानि च ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ sa puruṣavyāghro vijigye diśam uttarām ||
saṃgrāmān subahūn kṛtvā kṣatriyair dasyubhis tathā ||
sa vinirjitya rājñas tān kare ca viniveśya ha ||
dhanāny ādāya sarvebhyo ratnāni vividhāni ca ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवं स पुरुष-व्याघ्रोevaṃ sa puruṣa-vyāghrothus that tiger among men
विजिग्ये दिशम् उत्तराम्vijigye diśam uttarāmconquered the northern quarter,
संग्रामान् सु-बहून् कृत्वाsaṃgrāmān su-bahūn kṛtvāhaving fought very many battles
क्षत्रियैर् दस्युभिस् तथाkṣatriyair dasyubhis tathāwith kshatriyas and robbers;
स विनिर्जित्य राज्ञस् तान्sa vinirjitya rājñas tānhe, having vanquished those kings,
करे च विनिवेश्य हkare ca viniveśya haand imposed tribute upon them,
धनान्य् आदाय सर्वेभ्योdhanāny ādāya sarvebhyohaving taken riches from all,
रत्नानि विविधानि चratnāni vividhāni caand various jewels,
पुरुषव्याघ्रोpuruṣavyāghrooriginal form "puruṣavyāghro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुबहून्subahūnoriginal form "subahūn", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Thus that tiger among men conquered the northern quarter, fighting very many battles with kshatriyas and robbers. Having vanquished those kings and imposed tribute upon them, taking riches from all and various jewels,
Version
022dc6a7b200 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Summing up the northern campaign, the narrator brings together both faces of conquest: battle with the resistant, and the imposition of tribute upon those who submit. It is significant that the fruit is everywhere the same — not devastation but gathering: riches and jewels flow toward a single center, toward the future sacrifice. The verse teaches that righteous conquest does not lay waste to the land but binds it into unity under a common law; and what is gathered does not settle with the warrior but flows onward — to the king, to the altar, to the cause for which the campaign was undertaken.