Mahabharata · 7.17.23–24
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्मिंस् तु पतिते वीरे त्रस्तास् तस्य पदानुगाः ॥
व्यद्रवन्त भयाद् भीता येन दौर्योधनं बलम् ॥
ततो जघान संक्रुद्धो वासविस् तां महाचमूम् ॥
शरजालैर् अविच्छिन्नैस् तमः सूर्य इवांशुभिः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasmiṃs tu patite vīre trastās tasya padānugāḥ ||
vyadravanta bhayād bhītā yena dauryodhanaṃ balam ||
tato jaghāna saṃkruddho vāsavis tāṃ mahācamūm ||
śarajālair avicchinnais tamaḥ sūrya ivāṃśubhiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्मिन्tasmin[when] he [that]; [at the moment when] he
पतितेpatite[when] fell [was struck down]; fell
वीरेvīrehero [warrior]; [this] warrior
त्रस्ताःtrastāḥterrified; seized by fear
तस्यtasyahis; [his own]
पदानुगाःpadānugāḥcompanions [those following behind]; attendants [foot retinue]
व्यद्रवन्तvyadravantascattered [fled]; rushed headlong
भयात्bhayātfrom fear; out of fear
भीताःbhītāḥfrightened [in terror]; terrified
येनyenato where; whither [to that place where]
दौर्योधनम्dauryodhanamDuryodhana's; [belonging] to Duryodhana
बलम्balamarmy [force]; host
ततःtataḥthen; thereupon
जघानjaghānastruck down [smote]; shattered
संक्रुद्धःsaṃkruddhaḥenraged [inflamed with wrath]; in wrath
वासविःvāsaviḥson of Vasava [Arjuna]; offspring of Vasava [Indra]
ताम्tāmthat; [that very]
महाचमूम्mahācamūmgreat host; vast army
शरजालैःśarajālaiḥwith nets of arrows; with meshes of arrows
अविच्छिन्नैःavicchinnaiḥunbroken [continuous]; unceasing
तमःtamaḥdarkness; gloom
सूर्यःsūryaḥsun; [as] the sun
इवivalike [as]; just as
अंशुभिःaṃśubhiḥwith rays; [with] its rays
Translation
When that hero fell, his attendants, seized by fear, fled headlong in terror to where Duryodhana's army stood. Then the son of Vasava, in wrath, shattered that great host with unbroken nets of arrows, as the sun [dispels] darkness with its rays.
Version
14e15d2259d9 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
With the death of the leader, the retinue scatters — it was not valor that held it together, but reliance on the strongest, and with his fall everything collapses. This exposes the fragility of a multitude bound only by fear and another's strength, not by shared truth. The comparison of Arjuna to the sun dispelling darkness is no accident: darkness does not stand against light as an equal — it is merely light's absence, and vanishes without a fight at its rising. It is significant that here too the son of Indra is shown as a source of light before which darkness cannot stand. The verse teaches that a formation held together by one man alone is doomed; and that light — truth, strength guided by dharma — dispels what opposes it by its very appearance, as dawn scatters the night.