Mahabharata · 2.68.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
वैशंपायन उवाच
वनवासाय चक्रुस् ते मतिं पार्थाः पराजिताः ॥
अजिनान्य् उत्तरीयाणि जगृहुश् च यथाक्रमम् ॥
अजिनैः संवृतान् दृष्ट्वा हृतराज्यान् अरिंदमान् ॥
प्रस्थितान् वनवासाय ततो दुःशासनो ऽब्रवीत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
vanavāsāya cakrus te matiṃ pārthāḥ parājitāḥ ||
ajināny uttarīyāṇi jagṛhuś ca yathākramam ||
ajinaiḥ saṃvṛtān dṛṣṭvā hṛtarājyān ariṃdamān ||
prasthitān vanavāsāya tato duḥśāsano 'bravīt ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वन-वासाय चक्रुस् ते मतिं पार्थाः पराजिताःvana-vāsāya cakrus te matiṃ pārthāḥ parājitāḥThe defeated Parthas resolved on exile to the forest,
अजिनान्य् उत्तरीयाणि जगृहुश् च यथा-क्रमम्ajināny uttarīyāṇi jagṛhuś ca yathā-kramamand took, in due order, antelope skins as upper garments;
अजिनैः संवृतान् दृष्ट्वा हृत-राज्यान् अरिं-दमान्ajinaiḥ saṃvṛtān dṛṣṭvā hṛta-rājyān ariṃ-damānseeing them, tamers of foes, clad in skins, their kingdom taken away,
प्रस्थितान् वन-वासाय ततो दुःशासनो ऽब्रवीत्prasthitān vana-vāsāya tato duḥśāsano 'bravītsetting out for exile in the forest, Duhshasana spoke.
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वनवासायvanavāsāyaoriginal form "vanavāsāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथाक्रमम्yathākramamoriginal form "yathākramam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हृतराज्यान्hṛtarājyānoriginal form "hṛtarājyān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अरिंदमान्ariṃdamānoriginal form "ariṃdamān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वनवासायvanavāsāyaoriginal form "vanavāsāya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
The defeated Parthas resolved on exile to the forest and took, in due order, antelope skins as their upper garments. Seeing them, tamers of enemies, clad in skins, their kingdom taken from them, setting out into forest exile, Duhshasana began to speak.
Version
b6115e339d11 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:12:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Kings who only yesterday held half the world submit without complaint to the hermit's skins — and in this meekness there is more true royalty than in any crown. Accepting exile without protest shows that true dignity lies not in what fate can strip away, but in what lies within, beyond the enemy's reach. It is telling that their garb resembles that of ascetics: stripped of their kingdom, they step unwittingly onto the path of austerity, which purifies and strengthens. The verse teaches that the righteous accept what is sent without rebellion; that the loss of the outward reveals the unbreakable nature of the inward; and that what was devised as humiliation often turns into consecration — for the exile's garment, worn by the righteous, becomes the robe of patient endurance.