Mahabharata · 7.6.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
भीष्मेण तु रणे पार्थाः पालिता बाहुशालिना ॥
तांस् तु कर्णः शरैस् तीक्ष्णैर् नाशयिष्यत्य् असंशयम् ॥
एवं ब्रुवन्तस् ते ऽन्योन्यं हृष्टरूपा विशां पते ॥
राधेयं पूजयन्तश् च प्रशंसन्तश् च निर्ययुः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhīṣmeṇa tu raṇe pārthāḥ pālitā bāhuśālinā ||
tāṃs tu karṇaḥ śarais tīkṣṇair nāśayiṣyaty asaṃśayam ||
evaṃ bruvantas te 'nyonyaṃ hṛṣṭarūpā viśāṃ pate ||
rādheyaṃ pūjayantaś ca praśaṃsantaś ca niryayuḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भीष्मेणbhīṣmeṇaby Bhishma; by Bhishma alone
तुtuindeed; but
रणेraṇein battle; in combat
पार्थाःpārthāḥthe Parthas [the Pandavas]; the sons of Pritha
पालिताःpālitāḥprotected [survived]; shielded
बाहुशालिनाbāhuśālināmighty-armed; strong of hand
तान्tānthem; those
तुtuindeed; but
कर्णःkarṇaḥKarna
शरैःśaraiḥwith arrows; with battle arrows
तीक्ष्णैःtīkṣṇaiḥsharp; honed
नाशयिष्यतिnāśayiṣyatiwill destroy; will annihilate
असंशयम्asaṃśayamwithout doubt; undoubtedly
एवम्evamthus; in this way
ब्रुवन्तःbruvantaḥsaying; discussing
तेtethey; those [warriors]
अन्योन्यम्anyonyamto one another; among themselves
हृष्टरूपाःhṛṣṭarūpāḥwith joyful looks; gladdened
विशां पतेviśāṃ pateO lord of the people (addressing Dhritarashtra); O sovereign
राधेयम्rādheyamRadheya [Karna]; the son of Radha
पूजयन्तःpūjayantaḥhonoring; extolling
चcaand; also
प्रशंसन्तःpraśaṃsantaḥpraising; glorifying
चcaand; also
निर्ययुःniryayuḥmarched forth [to battle]; went out
Translation
'It was Bhishma alone, mighty-armed, who shielded the Parthas in battle [and let them survive]; but Karna will surely destroy them with his sharp arrows.' So saying to one another, gladdened, O lord of the people, honoring and praising Radheya [Karna], they marched forth to battle.
Version
d59695087269 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The warriors convince themselves with a distorted reading of the past: as though the Pandavas survived not by their own strength but only because Bhishma 'spared' them. Thus self-deception rewrites what has happened to suit what is wished for, turning an enemy's might into someone else's mercy. On this false foundation a new hope is built — 'Karna will surely destroy them.' The verse teaches that hope fed by a distortion of truth is doubly unreliable; that ascribing an opponent's survival to leniency rather than to his valor is a way of refusing to see his strength; and that an army going into battle with a faith propped on self-deception carries within it the seed of swift disillusion.