Mahabharata · 7.25.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
तेष्व् एवं संनिवृत्तेषु प्रत्युद्यातेषु भागशः ॥
कथं युयुधिरे पार्था मामकाश् च तरस्विनः ॥
किम् अर्जुनश् चाप्य् अकरोत् संशप्तकबलं प्रति ॥
संशप्तका वा पार्थस्य किम् अकुर्वत संजय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
teṣv evaṃ saṃnivṛtteṣu pratyudyāteṣu bhāgaśaḥ ||
kathaṃ yuyudhire pārthā māmakāś ca tarasvinaḥ ||
kim arjunaś cāpy akarot saṃśaptakabalaṃ prati ||
saṃśaptakā vā pārthasya kim akurvata saṃjaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेषुteṣu[when] those [warriors]; [when] those
एवम्evamthus; thus
संनिवृत्तेषुsaṃnivṛtteṣu[when] turned back [returned to battle]; turned [to battle]
प्रत्युद्यातेषुpratyudyāteṣu[when] advanced to meet; advanced to meet
भागशःbhāgaśaḥby parts [separately]; separately
कथम्kathamhow; how
युयुधिरेyuyudhirefought [battled]; battled
पार्थाःpārthāḥthe Parthas [Pandavas]; the Pandavas
मामकाःmāmakāḥmy [warriors]; my [men]
चcaand; —
तरस्विनःtarasvinaḥswift [mighty]; mighty
किम्kimwhat; what
अर्जुनःarjunaḥArjuna
च अपिca apiand [moreover]; moreover
अकरोत्akarotdid [accomplished]; accomplished
संशप्तकबलम् प्रतिsaṃśaptakabalam pratiagainst the host of the Samshaptakas; against the host of the Samshaptakas
संशप्तकाःsaṃśaptakāḥthe Samshaptakas; the Samshaptakas
वाvāor [else]; [and] what
पार्थस्यpārthasyaagainst Partha [against Arjuna]; against Partha
किम्kimwhat; —
अकुर्वतakurvatadid [wrought]; wrought
संजयsaṃjayaO Sanjaya; O Sanjaya
Translation
"When those mighty [warriors] thus turned to battle, advancing to meet each other separately, how did the Pandavas and my [men] fight? And what did Arjuna accomplish, moreover, against the host of the Samshaptakas, and what did the Samshaptakas do against Partha, O Sanjaya?"
Version
ee9dc78f2f82 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra again thirsts for news, and again he asks first of all about Arjuna — the thought of him will not release the blind king. It is telling that his question is two-sided: what Arjuna did to the Samshaptakas, and what they did to him — he wishes to know both sides, not only the harm dealt but the resistance met. The verse teaches that a mind tormented by anxiety returns again and again to the same fear, seeking news of it over and over; that honest curiosity wants to know the matter from both sides, not merely what it wishes to hear; and that in this persistent questioning about Arjuna there shows through an admission: the outcome of everything rests on the one most feared — and so the mind turns to him again and again.