Mahabharata · 5.170.21-22
॥
Devanāgarī
ते निवृत्ताश् च भग्नाश् च दृष्ट्वा तल् लाघवं मम ॥
अथाहं हास्तिनपुरम् आयां जित्वा महीक्षितः ॥
अतो ऽहं ताश् च कन्या वै भ्रातुर् अर्थाय भारत ॥
तच् च कर्म महाबाहो सत्यवत्यै न्यवेदयम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
te nivṛttāś ca bhagnāś ca dṛṣṭvā tal lāghavaṃ mama ||
athāhaṃ hāstinapuram āyāṃ jitvā mahīkṣitaḥ ||
ato 'haṃ tāś ca kanyā vai bhrātur arthāya bhārata ||
tac ca karma mahābāho satyavatyai nyavedayam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेtethey; those
निवृत्ताश्nivṛttāśretreated; turned back
चcaand; also
भग्नाश्bhagnāśbroken; routed
चcaand; also
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; having noticed
तल्talthat; this
लाघवंlāghavaṃswiftness; dexterity
ममmamamy; of mine
अथाहंathāhaṃthen I; after that I
हास्तिनपुरम्hāstinapuramHastinapura; the city of Hastinapura
आयांāyāṃI came; I arrived
जित्वाjitvāhaving conquered; having vanquished
महीक्षितःmahīkṣitaḥthe earthly lords; the kings; the rulers of the earth
अतोatotherefore; hence
ऽहं'haṃI; I myself
ताश्tāśthose; them
चcaand; also
कन्याkanyādaughter; maiden
वैvaiindeed; truly
भ्रातुर्bhrāturof my brother; of a kinsman; of a relative
अर्थायarthāyafor the sake of; for the benefit of
भारतbhārataO Bharata; descendant of Bharata
तच्tacthis; that
चcaand; also
कर्मkarmadeed; act
महाबाहोmahābāhoO mighty-armed one; O strong-armed one
सत्यवत्यैsatyavatyaito Satyavati; to Queen Satyavati
न्यवेदयम्nyavedayamI reported; I informed
Translation
Seeing this swiftness of mine, they retreated and were routed. Then I, having conquered the kings of the earth, came to Hastinapura. It was thus, O Bharata, that I took these maidens for my brother's sake; and of this deed, O mighty-armed one, I informed Satyavati.
Version
7a8d57d9c140 · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:32:37 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Bhishma answers Duryodhana not with abstract reasoning but with the story of his own vow and deeds. The account of the svayamvara of the king of Kashi shows his former might: alone, he defeated the assembled kings and carried off the princesses to continue the line of Kuru. Yet this very story leads to Shikhandin and to the boundary Bhishma will not cross: his martial power is subordinate to his vow, not the other way around.