Mahabharata
Yāna-saṃdhi (048) (Discussions of Peace and War, Chapters 46–70)5.48.6-10
4348 / 15823
Mahabharata · 5.48.6-10
Devanāgarī

बृहस्पतिश् च पप्रच्छ ब्राह्मणं काव् इमाव् इति ॥
भवन्तं नोपतिष्ठेते तौ नः शंस पितामह ॥
ब्रह्मोवाच
याव् एतौ पृथिवीं द्यां च भासयन्तौ तपस्विनौ ॥
ज्वलन्तौ रोचमानौ च व्याप्यातीतौ महाबलौ ॥
नरनारायणाव् एतौ लोकाल् लोकं समास्थितौ ॥
ऊर्जितौ स्वेन तपसा महासत्त्वपराक्रमौ ॥
एतौ हि कर्मणा लोकान् नन्दयाम् आसतुर् ध्रुवौ ॥
असुराणाम् अभावाय देवगन्धर्वपूजितौ ॥
वैशंपायन उवाच
जगाम शक्रस् तच् छ्रुत्वा यत्र तौ तेपतुस् तपः ॥
सार्धं देवगणैः सर्वैर् बृहस्पतिपुरोगमैः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

bṛhaspatiś ca papraccha brāhmaṇaṃ kāv imāv iti ||
bhavantaṃ nopatiṣṭhete tau naḥ śaṃsa pitāmaha ||
brahmovāca
yāv etau pṛthivīṃ dyāṃ ca bhāsayantau tapasvinau ||
jvalantau rocamānau ca vyāpyātītau mahābalau ||
naranārāyaṇāv etau lokāl lokaṃ samāsthitau ||
ūrjitau svena tapasā mahāsattvaparākramau ||
etau hi karmaṇā lokān nandayām āsatur dhruvau ||
asurāṇām abhāvāya devagandharvapūjitau ||
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
jagāma śakras tac chrutvā yatra tau tepatus tapaḥ ||
sārdhaṃ devagaṇaiḥ sarvair bṛhaspatipurogamaiḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
बृहस्पतिश्bṛhaspatiśBrihaspati; priest of the gods; the sage Brihaspati
caand; also
पप्रच्छpapracchaasked; inquired
ब्राह्मणंbrāhmaṇaṃthe brahmana; the priest
काव्kāvwho are these two; which two; who indeed are both
इमाव्imāvthese two; both these; this pair
इतिitithus; so
भवन्तंbhavantaṃyou, revered one; you, lord; the venerable you
नोपतिष्ठेतेnopatiṣṭhetedo not attend; do not present themselves; do not pay homage
तौtauthese two; both
नःnaḥto us; our
शंसśaṃsatell; declare; proclaim
पितामहpitāmahaO grandfather; O forefather
ब्रह्मोवाचbrahmovācaBrahma said; Brahma spoke; the creator answered
याव्yāvwho these two; both who; those two who
एतौetauthese two; both these
पृथिवींpṛthivīṃthe earth; the earthly world
द्यांdyāṃheaven; the heavenly world; the vault of heaven
caand; also
भासयन्तौbhāsayantauthe two illuminating; shining; radiating
तपस्विनौtapasvinautwo ascetics; both are ascetics; practicing austerity
ज्वलन्तौjvalantauthe two blazing; shining; burning
रोचमानौrocamānauthe two radiant; gleaming; glowing
caand; also
व्याप्यातीतौvyāpyātītauhaving pervaded and surpassed; having encompassed and gone beyond the limit; having spread and risen above
महाबलौmahābalautwo mighty ones; both of great strength; possessing great power
नरनारायणाव्naranārāyaṇāvNara and Narayana; the two sages Nara-Narayana; the saints Nara and Narayana
एतौetauthese two; both these
लोकाल्lokālworlds; regions of the world; spheres
लोकंlokaṃworld; people
समास्थितौsamāsthitauabiding; standing together; established
ऊर्जितौūrjitaumighty; strong; abounding in power
स्वेनsvenaby their own; by their own
तपसाtapasāby austerity; by the power of asceticism
महासत्त्वपराक्रमौmahāsattvaparākramautwo of great strength and valor; mighty in spirit and prowess; possessing great being and vigor
एतौetauthese two; both these
हिhiindeed; for
कर्मणाkarmaṇāby deed; by action
लोकान्lokānworlds; regions of the world
नन्दयाम्nandayāmgladdened; delighted; brought joy
आसतुर्āsaturboth remained; the two dwelt; abided
ध्रुवौdhruvautwo eternal ones; both steadfast; unchanging
असुराणाम्asurāṇāmof the asuras; of the demons; of the adversaries of the gods
अभावायabhāvāyafor the destruction; for the extinction; for the cessation
देवगन्धर्वपूजितौdevagandharvapūjitauhonored by gods and gandharvas; revered by celestials and singers; esteemed by the divine gandharvas
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaVaishampayana; the sage Vaishampayana
उवाचuvācasaid; spoke
जगामjagāmawent; set out
शक्रस्śakrasShakra; Indra
तच्tacthis; that
छ्रुत्वाchrutvāhaving heard; having learned
यत्रyatrawhere; to where
तौtauthese two; both
तेपतुस्tepatusperformed austerity; shone with tapas; practiced asceticism
तपःtapaḥausterity; asceticism
सार्धंsārdhaṃtogether with; along with
देवगणैःdevagaṇaiḥwith hosts of gods; with assemblies of celestials; with divine troops
सर्वैर्sarvairall; with all
बृहस्पतिपुरोगमैःbṛhaspatipurogamaiḥwith Brihaspati at their head; led by Brihaspati; with Brihaspati in the lead
Translation

Endowed with humility and righteousness, with asceticism and self-restraint, with valor governed by virtue, and ever speaking the truth, our king, though he suffered many deceits, forgave everything and patiently bore great wrongs. When the eldest son of Pandu, his soul held under proper control, unleashes upon the Kurus his terrible wrath accumulated over the years, then the son of Dhritarashtra will repent this war. As a blazing fire, burning all around, consumes dry grass in the hot season, so will Yudhishthira, inflamed with wrath, consume the army of Dhritarashtra with a single glance of his eye. When the son of Dhritarashtra beholds Bhimasena — that wrathful Pandava of terrible fury, standing on his chariot, mace in hand, pouring out the venom of his anger — then Duryodhana will repent this war. Indeed, when he beholds Bhimasena, who ever fights in the vanguard, clad in armor, whom even his own followers can scarcely bear to look upon, felling hostile heroes and laying waste the enemy's ranks like Yama himself, then the exceedingly vain Duryodhana will remember these words. When he beholds elephants like mountain peaks felled by Bhimasena, blood flowing from their shattered heads like water from broken casks, then the son of Dhritarashtra will repent this war. When the fierce Bhima, mace in hand, of terrible aspect, falls upon the sons of Dhritarashtra and slays them as a great lion falls upon a herd of cattle, then Duryodhana will repent this war. When the heroic Bhima — undaunted even in situations of great peril and skilled in the use of weapons, this grinder of hostile armies in battle — mounts his chariot and single-handedly crushes with his mace throngs of splendid chariots and whole ranks of infantry, seizes the elephants of the enemy army in his iron-hard grip, and mows down the army of Dhritarashtra as a sturdy woodsman fells a forest with his axe, then the son of Dhritarashtra will repent this war. When he sees the army of Dhritarashtra burning like a village full of thatched huts, or a field of ripe grain struck by lightning — indeed, when he sees his vast army scattered, its leaders slain, its men fleeing with their backs to the field, seized with fear, and all his warriors humbled into the dust, scorched by Bhimasena with the fire of his weapons — then the son of Dhritarashtra will repent this war.

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4c3a6ba7d553 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:31:17 AM UTC

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