Mahabharata · 2.39.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
दन्तान् संदशतस् तस्य कोपाद् ददृशुर् आननम् ॥
युगान्ते सर्वभूतानि कालस्येव दिधक्षतः ॥
उत्पतन्तं तु वेगेन जग्राहैनं मनस्विनम् ॥
भीष्म एव महाबाहुर् महासेनम् इवेश्वरः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dantān saṃdaśatas tasya kopād dadṛśur ānanam ||
yugānte sarvabhūtāni kālasyeva didhakṣataḥ ||
utpatantaṃ tu vegena jagrāhainaṃ manasvinam ||
bhīṣma eva mahābāhur mahāsenam iveśvaraḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दन्तान् संदशतस् तस्यdantān saṃdaśatas tasyahis teeth, clenched,
कोपाद् ददृशुर् आननम्kopād dadṛśur ānanamthey beheld his face, from wrath, —
युग-अन्ते सर्व-भूतानिyuga-ante sarva-bhūtāni[like] at the end of the age all beings
कालस्य इव दिधक्षतःkālasya iva didhakṣataḥ[the visage] of Kala [Time], desiring to burn;
उत्पतन्तं तु वेगेनutpatantaṃ tu vegenaas he leapt up with force,
जग्राह एनं मनस्विनम्jagrāha enaṃ manasvinamseized him, proud in spirit,
भीष्म एव महाबाहुर्bhīṣma eva mahābāhurBhishma indeed, the mighty-armed, —
महासेनम् इव ईश्वरःmahāsenam iva īśvaraḥas the Lord [Shiva seized] Mahasena [Skanda].
युगान्तेyugānteoriginal form "yugānte", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वभूतानिsarvabhūtānioriginal form "sarvabhūtāni", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कालस्येवkālasyevaoriginal form "kālasyeva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जग्राहैनंjagrāhainaṃoriginal form "jagrāhainaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवेश्वरःiveśvaraḥoriginal form "iveśvaraḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
The kings beheld his face, teeth clenched in wrath — like the visage of Kala [Time], who at the end of the age desires to burn all beings. And when he leapt up with force, mighty-armed Bhishma seized him, proud of spirit — as the Lord [Shiva] seized Mahasena [Skanda].
Version
d6a5b9d4205f · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:40:28 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Bhishma restrains Bhima not out of faintheartedness but out of knowledge: Shishupala's destruction is appointed for Krishna's hand, not Bhima's. It is telling that wisdom curbs even a righteous impulse, lest it outrun the Lord's will. The comparison to Skanda restrained by Shiva is apt: elder wisdom reins in fearsome strength, and in this yielding of strength there is no humiliation, only order. The verse teaches that zeal for God must know restraint: not every indignation of ours is to be carried out by our own hand; some matters the Lord has reserved for Himself, and it is enough for a devotee to entrust the reckoning to the One who will accomplish it in His own hour.