Mahabharata
Dhṛtarāṣṭrasainyaguṇavarṇanam (Dhṛtarāṣṭra Describes the Virtues of the Army)6.72.11-19
5718 / 15823
Mahabharata · 6.72.11-19
Devanāgarī

समृद्धजनम् आर्यं च तुष्टसत्कृतबान्धवम् ॥
कृतोपकारभूयिष्ठं यशस्वि च मनस्वि च ॥
सजयैश् च नरैर् मुख्यैर् बहुशो मुख्यकर्मभिः ॥
लोकपालोपमैस् तात पालितं लोकविश्रुतैः ॥
बहुभिः क्षत्रियैर् गुप्तं पृथिव्यां लोकसंमतैः ॥
अस्मान् अभिगतैः कामात् सबलैः सपदानुगैः ॥
महोदधिम् इवापूर्णम् आपगाभिः समन्ततः ॥
अपक्षैः पक्षसंकाशै रथैर् नागैश् च संवृतम् ॥
नानायोधजलं भीमं वाहनोर्मितरङ्गिणम् ॥
क्षेपण्यसिगदाशक्तिशरप्राससमाकुलम् ॥
ध्वजभूषणसंबाधं रत्नपट्टेन संचितम् ॥
वाहनैः परिसर्पद्भिर् वायुवेगविकम्पितम् ॥
अपारम् इव गर्जन्तं सागरप्रतिमं महत् ॥
द्रोणभीष्माभिसंगुप्तं गुप्तं च कृतवर्मणा ॥
कृपदुःशासनाभ्यां च जयद्रथमुखैस् तथा ॥
भगदत्तविकर्णाभ्यां द्रौणिसौबलबाह्लिकैः ॥
गुप्तं प्रवीरैर् लोकस्य सारवद्भिर् महात्मभिः ॥
यद् अहन्यत संग्रामे दिष्टम् एतत् पुरातनम् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

samṛddhajanam āryaṃ ca tuṣṭasatkṛtabāndhavam ||
kṛtopakārabhūyiṣṭhaṃ yaśasvi ca manasvi ca ||
sajayaiś ca narair mukhyair bahuśo mukhyakarmabhiḥ ||
lokapālopamais tāta pālitaṃ lokaviśrutaiḥ ||
bahubhiḥ kṣatriyair guptaṃ pṛthivyāṃ lokasaṃmataiḥ ||
asmān abhigataiḥ kāmāt sabalaiḥ sapadānugaiḥ ||
mahodadhim ivāpūrṇam āpagābhiḥ samantataḥ ||
apakṣaiḥ pakṣasaṃkāśai rathair nāgaiś ca saṃvṛtam ||
nānāyodhajalaṃ bhīmaṃ vāhanormitaraṅgiṇam ||
kṣepaṇyasigadāśaktiśaraprāsasamākulam ||
dhvajabhūṣaṇasaṃbādhaṃ ratnapaṭṭena saṃcitam ||
vāhanaiḥ parisarpadbhir vāyuvegavikampitam ||
apāram iva garjantaṃ sāgarapratimaṃ mahat ||
droṇabhīṣmābhisaṃguptaṃ guptaṃ ca kṛtavarmaṇā ||
kṛpaduḥśāsanābhyāṃ ca jayadrathamukhais tathā ||
bhagadattavikarṇābhyāṃ drauṇisaubalabāhlikaiḥ ||
guptaṃ pravīrair lokasya sāravadbhir mahātmabhiḥ ||
yad ahanyata saṃgrāme diṣṭam etat purātanam ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
समृद्धजनम् आर्यम् चsamṛddhajanam āryam cawith a prosperous people, and noble; possessing well-provided men
तुष्टसत्कृतबान्धवम्tuṣṭasatkṛtabāndhavamwith contented, honored kinsmen; reverent toward its own
कृतोपकारभूयिष्ठम्kṛtopakārabhūyiṣṭhamwith countless services rendered; having done good to many
यशस्वि च मनस्वि चyaśasvi ca manasvi caand glorious, and resolute; esteemed and firm of purpose
सजयैः च नरैः मुख्यैःsajayaiḥ ca naraiḥ mukhyaiḥand with victorious foremost men; with the finest of conquerors
बहुशः मुख्यकर्मभिःbahuśaḥ mukhyakarmabhiḥwho had often achieved great deeds; distinguished many times over
लोकपालोपमैः तातlokapālopamaiḥ tātalike the guardians of the world, my son; as if the lokapalas
पालितम् लोकविश्रुतैःpālitam lokaviśrutaiḥguarded by those renowned throughout the world; protected by the celebrated
बहुभिः क्षत्रियैः गुप्तम्bahubhiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ guptamprotected by many kshatriyas; guarded by warriors
पृथिव्याम् लोकसंमतैःpṛthivyām lokasaṃmataiḥesteemed on earth by the people; honored throughout the land
अस्मान् अभिगतैः कामात्asmān abhigataiḥ kāmātwho came to us of their own will; who came voluntarily
सबलैः सपदानुगैःsabalaiḥ sapadānugaiḥwith their forces and their retinues; with their strength and their followers
महोदधिम् इव आपूर्णम्mahodadhim iva āpūrṇamfull as the great ocean; as full as the sea
आपगाभिः समन्ततःāpagābhiḥ samantataḥwith rivers on every side; with streams from all directions
अपक्षैः पक्षसंकाशैःapakṣaiḥ pakṣasaṃkāśaiḥwingless, yet resembling wings; as if with wings though wingless
रथैः नागैः च संवृतम्rathaiḥ nāgaiḥ ca saṃvṛtamcovered with chariots and elephants; surrounded by chariots and elephants
नानायोधजलम् भीमम्nānāyodhajalam bhīmamterrible, with the waters of many warriors; dreadful with warrior-waters
वाहनोर्मितरङ्गिणम्vāhanormitaraṅgiṇamwith the waves and ripples of its mounts; surging with its means of conveyance
क्षेपण्यसिगदाशक्तिkṣepaṇyasigadāśaktiwith throwing weapons, swords, maces, shaktis; slings-swords-maces-spears
शरप्राससमाकुलम्śaraprāsasamākulamcrowded with arrows and prasas; filled with arrows and lances
ध्वजभूषणसंबाधम्dhvajabhūṣaṇasaṃbādhamdense with banners and ornaments; packed with standards
रत्नपट्टेन संचितम्ratnapaṭṭena saṃcitamstrewn with jeweled cloth; studded with gem-set bands
वाहनैः परिसर्पद्भिःvāhanaiḥ parisarpadbhiḥwith its moving mounts; with its crawling conveyances
वायुवेगविकम्पितम्vāyuvegavikampitamshaken by the speed of the wind; trembled by wind-swift force
अपारम् इव गर्जन्तम्apāram iva garjantamroaring as if boundless; as if endlessly thundering
सागरप्रतिमम् महत्sāgarapratimam mahatvast, resembling the ocean; immense as the sea
द्रोणभीष्माभिसंगुप्तम्droṇabhīṣmābhisaṃguptamguarded together by Drona and Bhishma; protected by Drona and Bhishma
गुप्तम् च कृतवर्मणाguptam ca kṛtavarmaṇāand guarded by Kritavarman; kept safe by Kritavarman
कृपदुःशासनाभ्याम् चkṛpaduḥśāsanābhyām caand by Kripa and Duhshasana; by Kripa and Duhshasana
जयद्रथमुखैः तथाjayadrathamukhaiḥ tathāand also headed by Jayadratha; by Jayadratha and others
भगदत्तविकर्णाभ्याम्bhagadattavikarṇābhyāmby Bhagadatta and Vikarna; by Bhagadatta-Vikarna
द्रौणिसौबलबाह्लिकैःdrauṇisaubalabāhlikaiḥby Drauni, Saubala, the Bahlikas; by Ashvatthama, Shakuni, the Bahlikas
गुप्तम् प्रवीरैः लोकस्यguptam pravīraiḥ lokasyaguarded by the world's finest heroes; protected by great warriors
सारवद्भिः महात्मभिःsāravadbhiḥ mahātmabhiḥmen of substance, great-souled; mighty and noble
यत् अहन्यत संग्रामेyat ahanyata saṃgrāmethat which was slain in battle; which was being destroyed
दिष्टम् एतत् पुरातनम्diṣṭam etat purātanamthis is the ancient decree; this is age-old fate
Translation

It had a prosperous people, was noble, its kinsmen content and honored, having done much good, glorious and resolute. It was guarded by foremost men, victorious, who had many times performed great deeds, renowned throughout the world and like the guardians of the world, my son. It was defended by many kshatriyas, esteemed on earth, who had come to us of their own will with their forces and their retinues. It was full, like the great ocean, filled from every side by rivers; covered with chariots and elephants that seemed wingless yet resembled wings. It was a terrible ocean whose waters were its many warriors and whose waves and ripples were its mounts; crowded with throwing weapons, swords, maces, shaktis, arrows, and prasas. It was dense with banners and ornaments, strewn with jeweled cloth, shaken by its moving mounts at the speed of the wind; vast, roaring as though boundless as the sea. It was guarded by Drona and Bhishma, by Kritavarman, by Kripa and Duhshasana, by Jayadratha and others, by Bhagadatta, Vikarna, Drauni, Saubala, and the Bahlikas; protected by the world's finest heroes, men of substance and great soul. And if such an army was struck down in battle, this is ancient fate."

Version

e542d08e59b4 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:38:20 PM UTC

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