Mahabharata · 7.18.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
क्रुद्धस् तु फल्गुनः संख्ये द्विगुणीकृतविक्रमः ॥
गाण्डीवम् उपसंमृज्य तूर्णं जग्राह संयुगे ॥
बद्ध्वा च भृकुटीं वक्त्रे क्रोधस्य प्रतिलक्षणम् ॥
देवदत्तं महाशङ्खं पूरयाम् आस पाण्डवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kruddhas tu phalgunaḥ saṃkhye dviguṇīkṛtavikramaḥ ||
gāṇḍīvam upasaṃmṛjya tūrṇaṃ jagrāha saṃyuge ||
baddhvā ca bhṛkuṭīṃ vaktre krodhasya pratilakṣaṇam ||
devadattaṃ mahāśaṅkhaṃ pūrayām āsa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्रुद्धःkruddhaḥenraged; in wrath
तुtuindeed; and now
फल्गुनःphalgunaḥPhalguna [Arjuna]; Phalguna
संख्येsaṃkhyein the battle; in the fight
द्विगुणीकृतविक्रमःdviguṇīkṛtavikramaḥwith doubled valor; [whose] fury had doubled
गाण्डीवम्gāṇḍīvamGandiva [the bow]; [the bow] Gandiva
उपसंमृज्यupasaṃmṛjyahaving stroked [having run his hand over]; having stroked [the bowstring]
तूर्णम्tūrṇamswiftly [quickly]; at once
जग्राहjagrāhaseized [grasped]; took up
संयुगेsaṃyugein the battle; in the fight
बद्ध्वाbaddhvāhaving knit [having drawn together]; having furrowed
चcaand; indeed
भृकुटीम्bhṛkuṭīmfrowning brows; a furrowed crease [between the brows]
वक्त्रेvaktreon his face; on his forehead
क्रोधस्यkrodhasyaof wrath; [the mark] of wrath
प्रतिलक्षणम्pratilakṣaṇamthe sign [the mark]; the plain sign
देवदत्तम्devadattamDevadatta ["god-given"]; [the conch] Devadatta
महाशङ्खम्mahāśaṅkhamthe great conch; the mighty conch
पूरयाम् आसpūrayām āsasounded [blew]; blew [upon]
पाण्डवःpāṇḍavaḥthe Pandava [Arjuna]; the son of Pandu
Translation
In wrath, Phalguna, his valor now doubled in that fight, stroking the bowstring of Gandiva, swiftly seized it in battle. And, knitting on his brow a furrowed crease — the plain sign of wrath — the Pandava sounded Devadatta, the great conch.
Version
269ac8480ca8 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The enemy's eclipse only doubles Arjuna's valor: trial does not crush the strength of the righteous but kindles it. It is telling that before he strikes he stops to stroke the bowstring of Gandiva and sound his conch — there is in this a focused unhurriedness of a master who, even in wrath, does not lose his bearing. The furrowed crease between his brows is the only outward sign: his anger is neither hasty nor loud, but gathered and aimed. The verse teaches that true strength does not diminish in answer to an onslaught but grows; and that righteous anger is not a flare that clouds reason but a gathered resolve, expressed sparingly and striking without fail.