Mahabharata · 7.5.10–11
॥
Devanāgarī
स भवान् वीक्ष्य सर्वेषु मामकेषु महात्मसु ॥
पश्य सेनापतिं युक्तम् अनु शांतनवाद् इह ॥
यं हि सेनाप्रणेतारं भवान् वक्ष्यति संयुगे ॥
तं वयं सहिताः सर्वे प्रकरिष्याम मारिष ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa bhavān vīkṣya sarveṣu māmakeṣu mahātmasu ||
paśya senāpatiṃ yuktam anu śāṃtanavād iha ||
yaṃ hi senāpraṇetāraṃ bhavān vakṣyati saṃyuge ||
taṃ vayaṃ sahitāḥ sarve prakariṣyāma māriṣa ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥyou [as such]; that one
भवान्bhavānyou [venerable]; [you,] lord
वीक्ष्यvīkṣyahaving surveyed; having looked over
सर्वेषुsarveṣuamong all; amid all
मामकेषुmāmakeṣumy [men]; [among those] belonging to me
महात्मसुmahātmasugreat-souled; magnanimous
पश्यpaśyabehold [point out]; discern
सेनापतिम्senāpatima commander; a general
युक्तम्yuktamfit; suitable
अनुanufollowing [after]; after
शांतनवात्śāṃtanavātthe son of Shantanu [Bhishma]; [after] the Shantanava
इहihahere; in this matter
यम्yamwhom; the one whom
हिhiindeed; precisely
सेनाप्रणेतारम्senāpraṇetāramas leader of the army; as commander
भवान्bhavānyou [venerable]; [you,] lord
वक्ष्यतिvakṣyatiwill name; will designate
संयुगेsaṃyugefor battle; for the fight
तम्tamhim; that one
वयम्vayamwe; [precisely] we
सहिताःsahitāḥtogether; [all] jointly
सर्वेsarveall; [all] to a man
प्रकरिष्यामprakariṣyāmawill install [make]; will raise [to this rank]
मारिषmāriṣaO venerable one; O worthy one (addressing Karna)
Translation
[Duryodhana:] You, lord, having surveyed all my great-souled warriors, point out here a commander fit to lead us after the Shantanava [Bhishma]. Whomever you designate as commander for battle, him we shall all together install in that rank, O venerable one.
Version
b5aa379e2d72 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Duryodhana entrusts to Karna the choice of leader and promises unanimously to confirm his word — and in this trust there is both generosity and danger: to rely on the judgment of a single friend in a matter that concerns all. It is telling that he seeks one 'fit after Bhishma,' not understanding that the irreplaceable cannot be replaced, only succeeded by another. The verse teaches that trust in a friend's wisdom is worthy when a common matter is settled by agreement; but that the very promise 'whomever you name, him we shall install' shifts onto one man a burden that ought to be borne together; and that seeking a substitute for a fallen support is not to correct a former error but to repeat it, binding one's fate once again to a mortal.