Mahabharata · 7.24.18–19
॥
Devanāgarī
तथैव राजा बाह्लीको राजानं द्रुपदं शरैः ॥
आद्रवन्तं सहानीकं सहानीको न्यवारयत् ॥
तद् युद्धम् अभवद् घोरं वृद्धयोः सहसेनयोः ॥
यथा महायूथपयोर् द्विपयोः संप्रभिन्नयोः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tathaiva rājā bāhlīko rājānaṃ drupadaṃ śaraiḥ ||
ādravantaṃ sahānīkaṃ sahānīko nyavārayat ||
tad yuddham abhavad ghoraṃ vṛddhayoḥ sahasenayoḥ ||
yathā mahāyūthapayor dvipayoḥ saṃprabhinnayoḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथा एवtathā evalikewise [equally]; likewise
राजा बाह्लीकःrājā bāhlīkaḥking Bahlika; king Bahlika
राजानम् द्रुपदम्rājānam drupadamking Drupada; king Drupada
शरैःśaraiḥwith arrows; with arrows
आद्रवन्तम्ādravantamrushing [advancing]; advancing
सहानीकम्sahānīkamwith [his] army [attended by his host]; attended by his host
सहानीकःsahānīkaḥwith [his] army [himself attended by his host]; himself attended by his host
न्यवारयत्nyavārayatrestrained [checked]; checked
तत् युद्धम्tat yuddhamthat battle; [that] battle
अभवत्abhavatwas [became]; arose
घोरम्ghoramterrible [dreadful]; dreadful
वृद्धयोःvṛddhayoḥof the two elders; of the two elders
सहसेनयोःsahasenayoḥwith their armies [attended by their hosts]; attended by their hosts
यथाyathāas [like]; just as
महायूथपयोःmahāyūthapayoḥof two herd-leaders [lords of the herd]; of two herd-leaders [of a herd]
द्विपयोःdvipayoḥof elephants; of elephants
संप्रभिन्नयोःsaṃprabhinnayoḥ[both] in must [with temples oozing]; [both] in must
Translation
Likewise king Bahlika checked with arrows king Drupada, who was advancing attended by his host -- himself attended by his own host. That battle of the two elders, attended by their hosts, arose dreadful, just as [a fight] between two herd-leading elephants, both in must.
Version
c284644bae65 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Two grey-haired elders, Bahlika and Drupada, meet in battle, just like two mighty herd-leading elephants. War spares not even old age: those to whom rest would be fitting fight on equal terms with the young. In the likeness to old elephants there is both dignity and sorrow: mature strength is still formidable, yet the very image recalls a nearing dusk. It is telling that tradition places this clash of old men beside the earlier clashes of the young -- war levels all ages. This teaches that the calamity of strife seizes everyone, from youths to elders; that valor does not leave a man even in his grey hairs, yet it is bitter to see old men finishing each other off instead of fading in peace; and that war, making no distinction of age, is repugnant to life precisely because it drives to slaughter both those whose time it is to bloom and those whose time it is to rest.