Mahabharata · 2.40.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
भीष्म उवाच
चेदिराजकुले जातस् त्र्यक्ष एष चतुर्भुजः ॥
रासभारावसदृशं रुराव च ननाद च ॥
तेनास्य मातापितरौ त्रेसतुस् तौ सबान्धवौ ॥
वैकृतं तच् च तौ दृष्ट्वा त्यागाय कुरुतां मतिम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhīṣma uvāca
cedirājakule jātas tryakṣa eṣa caturbhujaḥ ||
rāsabhārāvasadṛśaṃ rurāva ca nanāda ca ||
tenāsya mātāpitarau tresatus tau sabāndhavau ||
vaikṛtaṃ tac ca tau dṛṣṭvā tyāgāya kurutāṃ matim ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चेदि-राज-कुले जातस्cedi-rāja-kule jātas"born in the line of the king of Chedi,
त्र्यक्ष एष चतुर्भुजःtryakṣa eṣa caturbhujaḥthree-eyed, this one, four-armed,
रासभ-राव-सदृशंrāsabha-rāva-sadṛśaṃlike the braying of a donkey
रुराव च ननाद चrurāva ca nanāda cahe brayed and cried out;
तेन अस्य माता-पितरौtena asya mātā-pitaraubecause of that his mother and father
त्रेसतुस् तौ स-बान्धवौtresatus tau sa-bāndhavauwere terrified, they with their kinsmen;
वैकृतं तच् च तौ दृष्ट्वाvaikṛtaṃ tac ca tau dṛṣṭvāand, having seen that deformity,
त्यागाय कुरुतां मतिम्tyāgāya kurutāṃ matiminclined their minds toward abandoning [him]."
भीष्मbhīṣmaoriginal form "bhīṣma", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदिराजकुलेcedirājakuleoriginal form "cedirājakule", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रासभारावसदृशंrāsabhārāvasadṛśaṃoriginal form "rāsabhārāvasadṛśaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेनास्यtenāsyaoriginal form "tenāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मातापितरौmātāpitarauoriginal form "mātāpitarau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सबान्धवौsabāndhavauoriginal form "sabāndhavau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Born in the line of the king of Chedi, three-eyed and four-armed, he brayed and cried out like the braying of a donkey. At this his mother and father, together with their kinsmen, were terrified; and seeing this deformity, they inclined their minds toward abandoning him."
Version
4e77da6eb90e · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:40:28 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The monstrous form of the newborn is a sign of his exceptional but distorted nature. Tellingly, Shishupala's birth is already marked by a deformity visible to all: outward hideousness here foreshadows what lies within. The verse teaches that in the order of the world some arrive already marked by their destiny, and the discerning may read the future in such signs. Yet the parents too, ready in their fear to reject the child, will show that love does not withdraw: what terrifies the mind the mother's heart still accepts. The omen is ominous, but mercy has not yet spoken its word.