Mahabharata · 7.19.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
जयद्रथो भीमरथः सांयात्रिकसभो जयः ॥
भूमिंजयो वृषक्राथो नैषधश् च महाबलः ॥
वृता बलेन महता ब्रह्मलोकपुरस्कृताः ॥
व्यूहस्योपरि ते राजन् स्थिता युद्धविशारदाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jayadratho bhīmarathaḥ sāṃyātrikasabho jayaḥ ||
bhūmiṃjayo vṛṣakrātho naiṣadhaś ca mahābalaḥ ||
vṛtā balena mahatā brahmalokapuraskṛtāḥ ||
vyūhasyopari te rājan sthitā yuddhaviśāradāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जयद्रथःjayadrathaḥJayadratha
भीमरथःbhīmarathaḥBhimaratha
सांयात्रिकःsāṃyātrikaḥSamyatrika; Samyatrika
सभःsabhaḥSabha; Sabha
जयःjayaḥJaya; Jaya
भूमिंजयःbhūmiṃjayaḥBhuminjaya; Bhuminjaya
वृषक्राथःvṛṣakrāthaḥVrishaka [and] Kratha; Vrishaka and Kratha
नैषधःnaiṣadhaḥthe Naishadha [king of the Nishadhas]; the Naishadha
चcaand; also
महाबलःmahābalaḥof great might; [a man] of great strength
वृताःvṛtāḥsurrounded [attended]; attended
बलेन महताbalena mahatāwith a great army; with a vast host
ब्रह्मलोकपुरस्कृताःbrahmalokapuraskṛtāḥdestined for the world of Brahma [ready to die]; [those] to whom the world of Brahma shall be given [ready to fall]
व्यूहस्य उपरिvyūhasya upariabove the array [at its crest]; [at] the summit of the array
तेtethose; they
राजन्rājanO king; O sovereign
स्थिताःsthitāḥstood [took their place]; took their place
युद्धविशारदाःyuddhaviśāradāḥskilled in battle; skilled in war
Translation
Jayadratha, Bhimaratha, Samyatrika, Sabha, Jaya, Bhuminjaya, Vrishaka and Kratha, and the mighty Naishadha — attended by a vast host, those destined for the world of Brahma, skilled in war, took their place, O king, at the summit of the array.
Version
5ddd9b9750d5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:00:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Of the warriors at the crest of the formation it is said that "the world of Brahma shall be given to them" — they went into battle having already accepted death, trusting in the higher worlds for those who fall in war. In this readiness lies true greatness of spirit, and the tradition honors it, whoever the warrior may be. But here too lies a question: does death in battle open the higher worlds to one who fights for what is unjust? The subtlety is that the warrior fulfills his own dharma — to fight with valor — even when his lord's cause is unjust; and for fidelity to his own duty there is a reward, though the outcome of the common cause is not thereby made right. The verse teaches that readiness to give one's life for duty is sacred in itself; that valor and fidelity to one's post are credited to the warrior, not the choice of his lord; and that the highest measure judges each by his faithfulness to his own place, without confusing it with the sin of the one he serves.