Mahabharata · 7.29.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं बहुविधा मायाः सौबलस्य कृताः कृताः ॥
जघानास्त्रबलेनाशु प्रहसन्न् अर्जुनस् तदा ॥
तथा हतासु मायासु त्रस्तो ऽर्जुनशराहतः ॥
अपायाज् जवनैर् अश्वैः शकुनिः प्राकृतो यथा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ bahuvidhā māyāḥ saubalasya kṛtāḥ kṛtāḥ ||
jaghānāstrabalenāśu prahasann arjunas tadā ||
tathā hatāsu māyāsu trasto 'rjunaśarāhataḥ ||
apāyāj javanair aśvaiḥ śakuniḥ prākṛto yathā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम्evamso [in this way]; so
बहुविधाःbahuvidhāḥmanifold; manifold
मायाःmāyāḥillusions [phantasms]; phantasms
सौबलस्यsaubalasyaof Subala's son [Shakuni]; of Subala's son
कृताः कृताःkṛtāḥ kṛtāḥconjured one after another; one after another
जघानjaghānadestroyed [annihilated]; kept destroying
अस्त्रबलेनastrabalenaby the power of weapons; by the power of weapons
आशुāśuquickly [at once]; at once
प्रहसन्prahasanlaughing [with a smile]; with a smile
अर्जुनःarjunaḥArjuna
तदाtadāthen; then
तथाtathāthus [when]; when
हतासुhatāsu[when] destroyed [dispelled]; [when] dispelled
मायासुmāyāsuillusions [phantasms]; phantasms
त्रस्तःtrastaḥterrified; in fear
अर्जुनशराहतःarjunaśarāhataḥstruck by Arjuna's arrows; wounded by Arjuna's arrows
अपायात्apāyātfled [departed]; fled
जवनैः अश्वैःjavanaiḥ aśvaiḥon swift horses; on swift horses
शकुनिःśakuniḥShakuni; Shakuni
प्राकृतःprākṛtaḥa commoner [an ordinary man]; a commoner
यथाyathāas [like]; just like
Translation
Thus, one after another, Arjuna at once destroyed the manifold illusions conjured by Subala's son, by the power of his weapons, laughing as he did so. When the illusions were dispelled, Shakuni, in fear, wounded by Arjuna's arrows, fled on swift horses, like a mere commoner.
Version
807ce38d7bf2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:11:21 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna dispels Shakuni's spells "with a smile" -- a delusion fearsome to the unknowing, but mere sport to one who knows. And Shakuni, stripped of his only weapon -- deceit -- flees "like a commoner": the exposed schemer, without his tricks, is pitiful and helpless. This humiliation is telling: the man who wove intrigue through the whole war stands revealed as a coward the moment his illusion is taken from him. The verse teaches that for one who possesses true knowledge, another's magic is no more than a diversion; that the cunning man is strong only so long as his deception holds, while once exposed he is nothing; and that Shakuni, deprived of his one power, reveals the true face of falsehood -- stripped of its cover of tricks, it proves cowardly and powerless, fleeing the field "like a commoner."