Mahabharata · 7.24.45–46
॥
Devanāgarī
क्षेमधूर्तिबृहन्तौ तौ भ्रातरौ सात्वतं युधि ॥
द्रोणायाभिमुखं यान्तं शरैस् तीक्ष्णैस् ततक्षतुः ॥
तयोस् तस्य च तद् युद्धम् अत्यद्भुतम् इवाभवत् ॥
सिंहस्य द्विपमुख्याभ्यां प्रभिन्नाभ्यां यथा वने ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kṣemadhūrtibṛhantau tau bhrātarau sātvataṃ yudhi ||
droṇāyābhimukhaṃ yāntaṃ śarais tīkṣṇais tatakṣatuḥ ||
tayos tasya ca tad yuddham atyadbhutam ivābhavat ||
siṃhasya dvipamukhyābhyāṃ prabhinnābhyāṃ yathā vane ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्षेमधूर्तिबृहन्तौkṣemadhūrtibṛhantauKshemadhurti and Brihanta; Kshemadhurti and Brihanta
तौtauthose [both]; [those] both
भ्रातरौbhrātaraubrothers; brothers
सात्वतम्sātvatamSatvata [Satyaki]; Satvata [Satyaki]
युधिyudhiin battle; in the fight
द्रोणाय अभिमुखम्droṇāya abhimukham[going] straight at Drona; [heading] straight at Drona
यान्तम्yāntamgoing [driving up]; riding up
शरैः तीक्ष्णैःśaraiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥwith sharp arrows; with sharp arrows
ततक्षतुःtatakṣatuḥwounded [carved up]; wounded
तयोःtayoḥ[of] those two; [of] those two
तस्यtasya[of] him [Satyaki]; [of] him
चcaand; —
तत् युद्धम्tat yuddhamthat battle; [that] battle
अत्यद्भुतम्atyadbhutamin the highest degree wondrous [most wondrous]; most wondrous
इवivaas if [as]; [right] as if
अभवत्abhavatwas [appeared]; was
सिंहस्यsiṃhasyaof a lion; of a lion
द्विपमुख्याभ्याम्dvipamukhyābhyāmwith two foremost elephants; [with] two mighty elephants
प्रभिन्नाभ्याम्prabhinnābhyām[both] in must (rut); [both] in rut
यथाyathāas [like]; just as
वनेvanein a forest; in a forest
Translation
Kshemadhurti and Brihanta, those two brothers, wounded Satvata [Satyaki] with sharp arrows in battle as he rode up straight at Drona. The battle of those two and him was most wondrous, just as if [it were] a lion with two mighty elephants, both in rut, in a forest.
Version
8080e1d4e5fc · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Satyaki alone against two brothers -- a lion against two enraged elephants. In an unequal fight, where a lone man stands against an alliance of two, his valor shines brightest of all: he has no respite, and every blow threatens from two sides. It is telling that the tradition calls this clash "most wondrous" -- the wonder lies precisely in one man holding out against two. The verse teaches that a warrior's greatness reveals itself most surely in an unequal fight, where there is no support and no help; that a lion does not count the elephants when it goes against them, for its measure is not the number of foes but its own courage; and that the worthiest admiration is called forth not by the easy victory of the many, but by the steadfastness of one against many, which turns the very inequality into the crown of his glory.