Mahabharata
Prajāgara (037) (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's Night of Anxiety, Chapters 33–40)5.37.36-40
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Mahabharata · 5.37.36-40
Devanāgarī

हितं यत् सर्वभूतानाम् आत्मनश् च सुखावहम् ॥
तत् कुर्याद् ईश्वरो ह्य् एतन् मूलं धर्मार्थसिद्धये ॥
बुद्धिः प्रभावस् तेजश् च सत्त्वम् उत्थानम् एव च ॥
व्यवसायश् च यस्य स्यात् तस्यावृत्तिभयं कुतः ॥
पश्य दोषान् पाण्डवैर् विग्रहे त्वं; यत्र व्यथेरन्न् अपि देवाः सशक्राः ॥
पुत्रैर् वैरं नित्यम् उद्विग्नवासो; यशःप्रणाशो द्विषतां च हर्षः ॥
भीष्मस्य कोपस् तव चेन्द्रकल्प; द्रोणस्य राज्ञश् च युधिष्ठिरस्य ॥
उत्सादयेल् लोकम् इमं प्रवृद्धः; श्वेतो ग्रहस् तिर्यग् इवापतन् खे ॥
तव पुत्रशतं चैव कर्णः पञ्च च पाण्डवाः ॥
पृथिवीम् अनुशासेयुर् अखिलां सागराम्बराम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

hitaṃ yat sarvabhūtānām ātmanaś ca sukhāvaham ||
tat kuryād īśvaro hy etan mūlaṃ dharmārthasiddhaye ||
buddhiḥ prabhāvas tejaś ca sattvam utthānam eva ca ||
vyavasāyaś ca yasya syāt tasyāvṛttibhayaṃ kutaḥ ||
paśya doṣān pāṇḍavair vigrahe tvaṃ; yatra vyatherann api devāḥ saśakrāḥ ||
putrair vairaṃ nityam udvignavāso; yaśaḥpraṇāśo dviṣatāṃ ca harṣaḥ ||
bhīṣmasya kopas tava cendrakalpa; droṇasya rājñaś ca yudhiṣṭhirasya ||
utsādayel lokam imaṃ pravṛddhaḥ; śveto grahas tiryag ivāpatan khe ||
tava putraśataṃ caiva karṇaḥ pañca ca pāṇḍavāḥ ||
pṛthivīm anuśāseyur akhilāṃ sāgarāmbarām ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हितंhitaṃgood; beneficial
यत्yatwhat; which
सर्वभूतानाम्sarvabhūtānāmof all beings; of all that lives
आत्मनश्ātmanaśone's own; oneself
caand; also
सुखावहम्sukhāvahambringing happiness; conferring good
तत्tatthat; this
कुर्याद्kuryādlet him practice; should do
ईश्वरोīśvarothe lord; the ruler
ह्य्hyindeed; truly
एतन्etanthis; such is
मूलंmūlaṃthe root; the foundation
धर्मार्थसिद्धयेdharmārthasiddhayefor the attainment of dharma and profit; for the success of duty and gain
बुद्धिःbuddhiḥthought; intellect
प्रभावस्prabhāvasinfluence; might
तेजश्tejaśsplendor; power
caand; also
सत्त्वम्sattvamsteadfastness; essential strength
उत्थानम्utthānameffort; enterprise
एवevaindeed; truly
caand; also
व्यवसायश्vyavasāyaśresolve; enterprise
caand; also
यस्यyasyawhose; of whom
स्यात्syātwould be; let it be
तस्यावृत्तिभयंtasyāvṛttibhayaṃfear of want in him; apprehension of losing his livelihood
कुतःkutaḥwhence; how is it possible
पश्यpaśyabehold; see
दोषान्doṣānthe faults; the flaws
पाण्डवैर्pāṇḍavairwith the Pandavas; the Pandavas
विग्रहेvigrahein discord; in war
त्वंtvaṃyou; you indeed
यत्रyatrawhere; to where
व्यथेरन्न्vyatherannwould waver; would be afraid
अपिapieven; also
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; the celestials
सशक्राःsaśakrāḥtogether with Shakra; even with Indra
पुत्रैर्putrairwith the sons; the sons
वैरंvairaṃenmity; hatred
नित्यम्nityamconstantly; always
उद्विग्नवासोudvignavāsolife in constant anxiety; a troubled dwelling
यशःप्रणाशोyaśaḥpraṇāśothe destruction of fame; the loss of good repute
द्विषतांdviṣatāṃof the enemies; of those who hate
caand; also
हर्षःharṣaḥjoy; rejoicing
भीष्मस्यbhīṣmasyaof Bhishma; of Shantanu's son
कोपस्kopasthe anger; the wrath
तवtavayour; yours
चेन्द्रकल्पcendrakalpaand equal to Indra; like unto Indra
द्रोणस्यdroṇasyaof Drona; of the teacher Drona
राज्ञश्rājñaśof the king; the king's
caand; also
युधिष्ठिरस्यyudhiṣṭhirasyaof Yudhishthira; of King Yudhishthira
उत्सादयेल्utsādayelcan destroy; will sweep away
लोकम्lokamthe world; the people
इमंimaṃthis; this very
प्रवृद्धःpravṛddhaḥgrown great; intensified
श्वेतोśvetowhite; bright
ग्रहस्grahasa planet; an ominous portent
तिर्यग्tiryagaslant; crosswise
इवापतन्ivāpatanas if falling; like something plunging down
खेkhein the sky; through space
तवtavayour; yours
पुत्रशतंputraśataṃa hundred sons; one hundred sons
चैवcaivaand also; and indeed
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna; Radha's son
पञ्चpañcafive; the five
caand; also
पाण्डवाःpāṇḍavāḥthe Pandavas; the sons of Pandu
पृथिवीम्pṛthivīmthe earth; the kingdom
अनुशासेयुर्anuśāseyurwould rule; would govern
अखिलांakhilāṃthe whole; all of
सागराम्बराम्sāgarāmbarāmrobed in ocean; girdled by the sea
Translation

The two are bound to one another, so that success depends on both. Having begotten sons and made them free of debt, having provided for them some means of livelihood, and having given all his maiden daughters in marriage to worthy men, a man should withdraw to the forest and wish to live like a sage. To win the favor of the Supreme Being, a man must do what serves the good of all beings as well as his own happiness, since this alone is the root of the success of all our ends. What anxiety about livelihood can trouble one endowed with intellect, energy, valor, strength, vigor and steadfastness? "Behold the evil of a breach with the Pandavas — an evil that would grieve the very gods together with Shakra. There is, first, enmity among those who are all your own sons; second, a life spent in constant anxiety; third, the loss of the fair fame of the Kurus; and finally, the joy of those who are your enemies. The wrath of Bhishma, O you who are like unto Indra, and of Drona and of King Yudhishthira, will consume the whole world, like a comet of vast size falling athwart the sky. Your hundred sons, together with Karna and the sons of Pandu, would then be able to rule the whole broad earth girdled by the seas."

Version

de8f4acb14a7 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC

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