Mahabharata · 7.38.3–4
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
हन्त ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि विमर्दम् अतिदारुणम् ॥
एकस्य च बहूनां च यथासीत् तुमुलो रणः ॥
अभिमन्युः कृतोत्साहः कृतोत्साहान् अरिंदमान् ॥
रथस्थो रथिनः सर्वांस् तावकान् अप्य् अहर्षयत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
hanta te saṃpravakṣyāmi vimardam atidāruṇam ||
ekasya ca bahūnāṃ ca yathāsīt tumulo raṇaḥ ||
abhimanyuḥ kṛtotsāhaḥ kṛtotsāhān ariṃdamān ||
rathastho rathinaḥ sarvāṃs tāvakān apy aharṣayat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हन्तhantawell then [very well]; well then
तेteto you; to you
संप्रवक्ष्यामिsaṃpravakṣyāmiI shall relate [tell]; I shall relate
विमर्दम्vimardamthe carnage [slaughter]; the carnage
अतिदारुणम्atidāruṇammost terrible [dreadful]; most terrible
एकस्यekasyaof one; of one
चcaand; —
बहूनाम्bahūnāmof many; [against] many
चcaand; —
यथाyathāhow [in accordance with]; how
आसीत्āsītwas [happened]; was
तुमुलः रणःtumulaḥ raṇaḥturbulent battle [fierce fight]; fierce battle
अभिमन्युःabhimanyuḥAbhimanyu; Abhimanyu
कृतोत्साहःkṛtotsāhaḥfilled with zeal; filled with zeal
कृतोत्साहान्kṛtotsāhānfilled with zeal; filled with zeal
अरिंदमान्ariṃdamāndestroyers of foes [tamers of enemies]; tamers of enemies
रथस्थःrathasthaḥ[standing] on his chariot; [standing] on his chariot
रथिनःrathinaḥchariot [warriors]; chariot warriors
सर्वान्sarvānall; all
तावकान्tāvakānyour; your
अपिapieven [also]; even
अहर्षयत्aharṣayatmade tremble [caused to shudder]; made tremble
Translation
Well then, I shall relate to you the most terrible carnage — how fierce was the battle of one against many. Abhimanyu, filled with zeal, standing on his chariot, made tremble even all your chariot warriors — those tamers of enemies, themselves filled with zeal.
Version
4036e486683f · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
One youth makes all your chariot warriors tremble — and the very epithet is repeated: he, 'filled with zeal,' against them, 'filled with zeal,' yet the one prevails over all. Thus superiority reveals itself, in which those equal in ardor are unequal in strength of spirit. It is telling that the fear instilled falls not on a multitude of the weak but on the 'tamers of enemies' — the mightiest. The verse teaches that valor of spirit, not zeal alone, decides the outcome — all were full of ardor, yet quailed before one; that one can surpass even those equal to oneself in diligence, if one surpasses them in strength of spirit; and that the trembling instilled by a single youth in the fiercest of warriors reveals the measure of a gift that depends not on numbers or shared ardor, but is rooted in the very nature of greatness.