Mahabharata · 4.10.10
॥
Devanāgarī
विराट उवाच
ददामि ते हन्त वरं बृहन्नडे; सुतां च मे नर्तय याश् च तादृशीः ॥
इदं तु ते कर्म समं न मे मतं; समुद्रनेमिं पृथिवीं त्वम् अर्हसि ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
virāṭa uvāca
dadāmi te hanta varaṃ bṛhannaḍe; sutāṃ ca me nartaya yāś ca tādṛśīḥ ||
idaṃ tu te karma samaṃ na me mataṃ; samudranemiṃ pṛthivīṃ tvam arhasi ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विराटvirāṭaVirata
उवाचuvācasaid
ददामिdadāmiI give
तेtethey; to you
हन्तhantaah, well
वरंvaraṃgift, the best
बृहन्नडेbṛhannaḍeBrihannada, to strike, to kill
सुतांsutāṃdaughter
चcaand
मेmeto me, my
नर्तयnartayaman, husband
याश्yāśform yāś
चcaand
तादृशीःtādṛśīḥform tādṛśīḥ
इदंidaṃthis
तुtuindeed, but
तेtethey; to you
कर्मkarmadeed, action
समंsamaṃform samaṃ
नnanot
मेmeto me, my
मतंmataṃopinion
समुद्रनेमिंsamudranemiṃform samudranemiṃ
पृथिवींpṛthivīṃearth
त्वम्tvamyou
अर्हसिarhasiyou must
Translation
Virata said: "Here, Brihannada, I grant you this favor: teach my daughter to dance, and girls like her. But I do not consider this task equal to you; you deserve the earth girdled by the ocean."
Version
88e2dc30d527 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:58:59 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here again Virata recognizes greatness beneath a mask. He does not know the truth, but he feels the mismatch between the person and the post assigned to him.