Mahabharata · 4.5.30-31
॥
Devanāgarī
जयो जयन्तो विजयो जयत्सेनो जयद्बलः ॥
इति गुह्यानि नामानि चक्रे तेषां युधिष्ठिरः ॥
ततो यथाप्रतिज्ञाभिः प्राविशन् नगरं महत् ॥
अज्ञातचर्यां वत्स्यन्तो राष्ट्रे वर्षं त्रयोदशम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jayo jayanto vijayo jayatseno jayadbalaḥ ||
iti guhyāni nāmāni cakre teṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
tato yathāpratijñābhiḥ prāviśan nagaraṃ mahat ||
ajñātacaryāṃ vatsyanto rāṣṭre varṣaṃ trayodaśam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जयोjayovictory
जयन्तोjayantovictory
विजयोvijayoform of vijayo
जयत्सेनोjayatsenovictory, army
जयद्बलःjayadbalaḥvictory
इतिitithus, so
गुह्यानिguhyāniform of guhyāni
नामानिnāmāninames
चक्रेcakremade
तेषांteṣāṃtheir, of those
युधिष्ठिरःyudhiṣṭhiraḥYudhishthira
ततोtatothen, from there
यथाप्रतिज्ञाभिःyathāpratijñābhiḥto know
प्राविशन्prāviśanentered
नगरंnagaraṃcity
महत्mahatgreat
अज्ञातचर्यांajñātacaryāṃunrecognized, to know
वत्स्यन्तोvatsyantoform of vatsyanto
राष्ट्रेrāṣṭreform of rāṣṭre
वर्षंvarṣaṃform of varṣaṃ
त्रयोदशम्trayodaśamthirteenth
Translation
The Parthas, destroyers of enemies, explaining this to the cowherds, drew near the city. Yudhishthira gave them secret names: Jaya, Jayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena, and Jayadbala. Then, in keeping with their vows, they entered the great city to live out the thirteenth year in that land, observing a life unrecognized.
Version
9a73a26e38e4 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:58:59 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
All the secret names are built around victory. Even while hiding, the Pandavas keep in mind the final meaning of their path: victory must come through steadfast dharma, not through haste.