Mahabharata
Arghyāharaṇa-parva (bhīṣma-uttara, kṛṣṇa-āhvāna) (Bhishma's Reply and the Challenge to Krishna)2.41.1–4
2444 / 15823
Mahabharata · 2.41.1–4
Devanāgarī

भीष्म उवाच
नैषा चेदिपतेर् बुद्धिर् यया त्वाह्वयते ऽच्युतम् ॥
नूनम् एष जगद्भर्तुः कृष्णस्यैव विनिश्चयः ॥
को हि मां भीमसेनाद्य क्षिताव् अर्हति पार्थिवः ॥
क्षेप्तुं दैवपरीतात्मा यथैष कुलपांसनः ॥
एष ह्य् अस्य महाबाहो तेजोंशश् च हरेर् ध्रुवम् ॥
तम् एव पुनर् आदातुम् इच्छत् पृथुयशा हरिः ॥
येनैष कुरुशार्दूल शार्दूल इव चेदिराट् ॥
गर्जत्य् अतीव दुर्बुद्धिः सर्वान् अस्मान् अचिन्तयन् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

bhīṣma uvāca
naiṣā cedipater buddhir yayā tvāhvayate 'cyutam ||
nūnam eṣa jagadbhartuḥ kṛṣṇasyaiva viniścayaḥ ||
ko hi māṃ bhīmasenādya kṣitāv arhati pārthivaḥ ||
kṣeptuṃ daivaparītātmā yathaiṣa kulapāṃsanaḥ ||
eṣa hy asya mahābāho tejoṃśaś ca harer dhruvam ||
tam eva punar ādātum icchat pṛthuyaśā hariḥ ||
yenaiṣa kuruśārdūla śārdūla iva cedirāṭ ||
garjaty atīva durbuddhiḥ sarvān asmān acintayan ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न एषा चेदिपतेर् बुद्धिर्na eṣā cedipater buddhirnot the Chedi-lord's own understanding, this,
यया तु आह्वयते अच्युतम्yayā tu āhvayate acyutamby which he summons Achyuta;
नूनम् एष जगद्-भर्तुःnūnam eṣa jagad-bhartuḥsurely this, of the world's sustainer,
कृष्णस्य एव विनिश्चयःkṛṣṇasya eva viniścayaḥof Krishna himself, the design;
को हि मां भीमसेन अद्यko hi māṃ bhīmasena adyafor what, O Bhimasena, today
क्षिताव् अर्हति पार्थिवःkṣitāv arhati pārthivaḥon earth king [could]
क्षेप्तुं दैव-परीत-आत्माkṣeptuṃ daiva-parīta-ātmārevile [me], his soul seized by fate,
यथा एष कुल-पांसनःyathā eṣa kula-pāṃsanaḥas this defiler of his lineage?
एष ह्य् अस्य महाबाहोeṣa hy asya mahābāhofor this, O mighty-armed one,
तेजो-अंशश् च हरेर् ध्रुवम्tejo-aṃśaś ca harer dhruvamis surely a portion of Hari's radiance,
तम् एव पुनर् आदातुम्tam eva punar ādātumwhich again to take back
इच्छत् पृथु-यशा हरिःicchat pṛthu-yaśā hariḥthe far-famed Hari desires, —
येन एष कुरु-शार्दूलyena eṣa kuru-śārdūlawherefore this, O tiger among Kurus,
शार्दूल इव चेदिराट्śārdūla iva cedirāṭlike a tiger, the Chedi king,
गर्जत्य् अतीव दुर्बुद्धिःgarjaty atīva durbuddhiḥroars beyond measure, evil-minded,
सर्वान् अस्मान् अचिन्तयन्sarvān asmān acintayancounting all of us as nothing».
भीष्मbhīṣmaoriginal form "bhīṣma", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैषाnaiṣāoriginal form "naiṣā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वाह्वयतेtvāhvayateoriginal form "tvāhvayate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽच्युतम्'cyutamoriginal form "'cyutam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जगद्भर्तुःjagadbhartuḥoriginal form "jagadbhartuḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कृष्णस्यैवkṛṣṇasyaivaoriginal form "kṛṣṇasyaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भीमसेनाद्यbhīmasenādyaoriginal form "bhīmasenādya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दैवपरीतात्माdaivaparītātmāoriginal form "daivaparītātmā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथैषyathaiṣaoriginal form "yathaiṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुलपांसनःkulapāṃsanaḥoriginal form "kulapāṃsanaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेजोंशश्tejoṃśaśoriginal form "tejoṃśaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृथुयशाpṛthuyaśāoriginal form "pṛthuyaśā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
येनैषyenaiṣaoriginal form "yenaiṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुशार्दूलkuruśārdūlaoriginal form "kuruśārdūla", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation

"This understanding is not the Chedi-lord's own, by which he challenges Achyuta; surely this is the design of Krishna himself, the sustainer of the world. For what king on earth, O Bhimasena, could now revile me so, unless his soul were seized by fate, like this defiler of his lineage? This, O mighty-armed one, is a portion of Hari's own radiance, which the far-famed Hari now wishes to reclaim — that is why the Chedi king roars beyond measure, like a tiger, evil-minded, holding all of us as nothing."

Version

d6630c31db97 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC

Available inRUEN

Page between verses with