Mahabharata · 2.26.10–11
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो दक्षिणम् आगम्य पुलिन्दनगरं महत् ॥
सुकुमारं वशे चक्रे सुमित्रं च नराधिपम् ॥
ततस् तु धर्मराजस्य शासनाद् भरतर्षभः ॥
शिशुपालं महावीर्यम् अभ्ययाज् जनमेजय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato dakṣiṇam āgamya pulindanagaraṃ mahat ||
sukumāraṃ vaśe cakre sumitraṃ ca narādhipam ||
tatas tu dharmarājasya śāsanād bharatarṣabhaḥ ||
śiśupālaṃ mahāvīryam abhyayāj janamejaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततो दक्षिणम् आगम्यtato dakṣiṇam āgamyathen, having come to the south,
पुलिन्द-नगरं महत्pulinda-nagaraṃ mahatto the great city of the Pulindas,
सुकुमारं वशे चक्रेsukumāraṃ vaśe cakreSukumara he brought under his sway,
सुमित्रं च नराधिपम्sumitraṃ ca narādhipamand Sumitra the king;
ततस् तु धर्म-राजस्यtatas tu dharma-rājasyathen, by the command of
शासनाद् भरतर्षभःśāsanād bharatarṣabhaḥDharmaraja, the bull of the Bharatas,
शिशुपालं महावीर्यम्śiśupālaṃ mahāvīryamagainst Shishupala, of great might,
अभ्ययाज् जनमेजयabhyayāj janamejayamarched, O Janamejaya.
पुलिन्दनगरंpulindanagaraṃoriginal form "pulindanagaraṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मराजस्यdharmarājasyaoriginal form "dharmarājasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Then, having come to the south, to the great city of the Pulindas, he brought under his sway Sukumara and King Sumitra. Then, by the command of Dharmaraja, the bull of the Bharatas marched against the mighty Shishupala, O Janamejaya.
Version
53e24120dea7 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Again the refrain sounds: "by the command of Dharmaraja." This refrain is no mere repetition but a reminder of the axis of the whole narrative: however far the campaign extends, the action springs from the single will of the righteous king. It is telling that even toward Shishupala -- kinsman, and future enemy who will fall at the sacrifice -- Bhima goes not out of his own enmity but on assignment. The verse teaches that in righteous order personal feelings are subordinated to duty; the one who acts does not bring his own scores into the matter, but acts as part of a whole, obedient to its head.