Mahabharata · 2.28.30–31
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् उक्त्वा तु माद्रेयः कुशैर् आस्तीर्य मेदिनीम् ॥
विधिवत् पुरुषव्याघ्रः पावकं प्रत्युपाविशत् ॥
प्रमुखे सर्वसैन्यस्य भीतोद्विग्नस्य भारत ॥
न चैनम् अत्यगाद् वह्निर् वेलाम् इव महोदधिः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evam uktvā tu mādreyaḥ kuśair āstīrya medinīm ||
vidhivat puruṣavyāghraḥ pāvakaṃ pratyupāviśat ||
pramukhe sarvasainyasya bhītodvignasya bhārata ||
na cainam atyagād vahnir velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्त्वा तु माद्रेयःevam uktvā tu mādreyaḥHaving thus spoken, the son of Madri,
कुशैर् आस्तीर्य मेदिनीम्kuśair āstīrya medinīmhaving strewn the ground with kusha grass,
विधिवत् पुरुष-व्याघ्रःvidhivat puruṣa-vyāghraḥaccording to rite, the tiger among men,
पावकं प्रत्युपाविशत्pāvakaṃ pratyupāviśatsat down before Pavaka;
प्रमुखे सर्व-सैन्यस्यpramukhe sarva-sainyasyain front of the entire army,
भीत-उद्विग्नस्य भारतbhīta-udvignasya bhāratafrightened and agitated, O Bharata,
न च एनम् अत्यगाद् वह्निर्na ca enam atyagād vahnirand the fire did not overstep him,
वेलाम् इव महा-उदधिःvelām iva mahā-udadhiḥas the great ocean [does not overstep] its shore.
पुरुषव्याघ्रःpuruṣavyāghraḥoriginal form "puruṣavyāghraḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वसैन्यस्यsarvasainyasyaoriginal form "sarvasainyasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भीतोद्विग्नस्यbhītodvignasyaoriginal form "bhītodvignasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैनम्cainamoriginal form "cainam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महोदधिःmahodadhiḥoriginal form "mahodadhiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Having thus spoken, the son of Madri, the tiger among men, having strewn the ground with kusha grass, sat down before Pavaka according to rite — in front of the entire army, frightened and agitated, O Bharata. And the fire did not overstep him, as the great ocean does not overstep its shore.
Version
17efb3110cfa · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Sahadeva sits before the flame ‘according to rite,’ upon kusha grass — turning the battlefield into a place of sacrifice. It is significant the comparison: the fire does not cross him, ‘as the ocean does not cross the shore’; the element ready to consume everything halts before one who prays in humility. The verse reveals the power of ritual standing before the divine: what cannot be overcome by arms is tamed by purity and prayer. Whoever stands before the Lord as a supplicant, not a rival, gains a boundary that even all-devouring flame will not cross; humility sets limits where struggle is powerless.