Mahabharata · 2.42.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
पितृष्वसुः कृते दुःखं सुमहन् मर्षयाम्य् अहम् ॥
दिष्ट्या त्व् इदं सर्वराज्ञां संनिधाव् अद्य वर्तते ॥
पश्यन्ति हि भवन्तो ऽद्य मय्य् अतीव व्यतिक्रमम् ॥
कृतानि तु परोक्षं मे यानि तानि निबोधत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
pitṛṣvasuḥ kṛte duḥkhaṃ sumahan marṣayāmy aham ||
diṣṭyā tv idaṃ sarvarājñāṃ saṃnidhāv adya vartate ||
paśyanti hi bhavanto 'dya mayy atīva vyatikramam ||
kṛtāni tu parokṣaṃ me yāni tāni nibodhata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पितृ-स्वसुः कृते दुःखंpitṛ-svasuḥ kṛte duḥkhaṃ"for the sake of [his] aunt [his mother's sister], grief
सु-महन् मर्षयाम्य् अहम्su-mahan marṣayāmy ahamexceedingly great I have endured;
दिष्ट्या त्व् इदं सर्व-राज्ञांdiṣṭyā tv idaṃ sarva-rājñāṃby good fortune, though, this, before all the kings,
संनिधाव् अद्य वर्ततेsaṃnidhāv adya vartatein [their] presence, is happening now;
पश्यन्ति हि भवन्तो अद्यpaśyanti hi bhavanto adyafor you now see
मय्य् अतीव व्यतिक्रमम्mayy atīva vyatikramamagainst me an utmost transgression;
कृतानि तु परोक्षं मेkṛtāni tu parokṣaṃ mebut what has been done in secret against me —
यानि तानि निबोधतyāni tāni nibodhatathat, learn."
पितृष्वसुःpitṛṣvasuḥoriginal form "pitṛṣvasuḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुमहन्sumahanoriginal form "sumahan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वराज्ञांsarvarājñāṃoriginal form "sarvarājñāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽद्य'dyaoriginal form "'dya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"For the sake of his aunt [his mother's sister] I have endured exceedingly great grief; but, by good fortune, this is now happening in the presence of all the kings. Now you see the utmost transgression against me; but as for what has been done against me in secret — learn of that too."
Version
eb7da7e70527 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:49:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna reveals that He endured long not out of weakness, but from a vow to the aunt: "for the sake of the aunt I have endured exceedingly great grief." It is telling that the Lord's mercy is rooted in faithfulness to a given word — He bore insults while keeping a promise made to Shishupala's mother. The verse teaches that divine forbearance is not indifference or powerlessness, but a free self-restraint for the sake of faithfulness and love. And now the measure is filled — "by good fortune, in the presence of all the kings": even the hour and place of the reckoning are gracious, for the truth reveals itself before witnesses. He who endured in secret now judges openly; the long-kept word has been fulfilled in full, and now justice follows.