Mahabharata · 7.17.30–31
॥
Devanāgarī
एवम् उक्तास् तु ते राजन्न् उदक्रोशन् मुहुर् मुहुः ॥
शङ्खांश् च दध्मिरे वीरा हर्षयन्तः परस्परम् ॥
ततस् ते संन्यवर्तन्त संशप्तकगणाः पुनः ॥
नारायणाश् च गोपालाः कृत्वा मृत्युं निवर्तनम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evam uktās tu te rājann udakrośan muhur muhuḥ ||
śaṅkhāṃś ca dadhmire vīrā harṣayantaḥ parasparam ||
tatas te saṃnyavartanta saṃśaptakagaṇāḥ punaḥ ||
nārāyaṇāś ca gopālāḥ kṛtvā mṛtyuṃ nivartanam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्ताःevam uktāḥthus addressed [to whom this was said]; having heard this
तुtuindeed; and so
तेtethey; those
राजन्rājanO king; O sovereign
उदक्रोशन्udakrośancried out [raised a shout]; raised a cry
मुहुः मुहुःmuhuḥ muhuḥagain and again; time after time
शङ्खान्śaṅkhānconch shells; [battle] conches
चcaand; also
दध्मिरेdadhmireblew [sounded]; sounded [them]
वीराःvīrāḥheroes [warriors]; [these] warriors
हर्षयन्तःharṣayantaḥcheering [encouraging]; encouraging
परस्परम्parasparamone another; each other
ततःtataḥthen; thereupon
तेtethey; those
संन्यवर्तन्तsaṃnyavartantaturned back [turned to face battle]; turned around [to meet the enemy]
संशप्तकगणाःsaṃśaptakagaṇāḥhosts of Samshaptakas; bands of Samshaptakas
पुनःpunaḥagain; once more
नारायणाःnārāyaṇāḥNarayanas [Narayana warriors]; [the] Narayana warriors
चcaand; also
गोपालाःgopālāḥGopalas [cowherd-warriors]; [the] Gopala warriors
कृत्वाkṛtvāhaving made [having turned]; having laid down
मृत्युम्mṛtyumdeath; [very] death
निवर्तनम्nivartanam[as] their turning back [the boundary of return]; [as] their turn [toward battle]
Translation
Hearing this, O king, they raised a shout again and again, and blew their conches, these warriors, encouraging one another. Then the bands of Samshaptakas turned back once more [toward the enemy] — the Narayanas and the Gopalas — having made death their return.
Version
67d4b8bc0f7b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
'Having made death their return' — they go back into battle in such a way that the road back is cut off: now they have nowhere to retreat except into death. There is a grim greatness in this resolve: men who have conquered fear and embraced death before the battle itself are fearsome and unshakable before one who wavers. It is telling that what inspires them is not the rightness of their cause but mutual shouting and the sound of conches — a courage kindled from outside and passed from neighbor to neighbor. The verse teaches that resolve to die makes a warrior formidable, whoever he may be; but that readiness for death alone does not justify the cause for which one dies. Valor turned against one who stands for dharma remains a fatal valor — glorious in self-sacrifice and futile in its outcome.