Mahabharata · 7.39.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
अद्याहम् अनृणस् तस्य कोपस्य भविता रणे ॥
अमर्षितायाः कृष्णायाः काङ्क्षितस्य च मे पितुः ॥
अद्य कौरव्य भीमस्य भवितास्म्य् अनृणो युधि ॥
न हि मे मोक्ष्यसे जीवन् यदि नोत्सृजसे रणम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
adyāham anṛṇas tasya kopasya bhavitā raṇe ||
amarṣitāyāḥ kṛṣṇāyāḥ kāṅkṣitasya ca me pituḥ ||
adya kauravya bhīmasya bhavitāsmy anṛṇo yudhi ||
na hi me mokṣyase jīvan yadi notsṛjase raṇam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अद्यadyanow [today]; now
अहम्ahamI; I
अनृणःanṛṇaḥfree of debt [having repaid]; free of debt
तस्य कोपस्यtasya kopasya[for] that wrath; [for] that wrath
भविताbhavitāshall become [shall be]; shall become
रणेraṇein battle; in battle
अमर्षितायाःamarṣitāyāḥof the insulted [indignant]; of the insulted
कृष्णायाःkṛṣṇāyāḥKrishna [Draupadi]; Krishna [Draupadi]
काङ्क्षितस्यkāṅkṣitasyaof the longed-for [desired]; [the debt owed to] the longed-for
चcaand; —
मे पितुःme pituḥof my father; of my father
अद्यadyanow [today]; now
कौरव्यkauravyaO Kaurava [descendant of Kuru]; O Kaurava
भीमस्यbhīmasya[before] Bhima; [before] Bhima
भविता अस्मिbhavitā asmishall become [shall be]; shall become
अनृणःanṛṇaḥfree of debt; free of debt
युधिyudhiin battle; in battle
नnanot; not
हिhiindeed; indeed
मेme[from] me; [from] me
मोक्ष्यसेmokṣyaseyou will escape [be saved]; you will escape
जीवन्jīvanalive [remaining alive]; alive
यदिyadiif; if
न उत्सृजसेna utsṛjaseyou do not leave [abandon]; you do not leave
रणम्raṇamthe battle [the field of war]; the battle
Translation
"Now I shall become in battle free of debt for that wrath — of the insulted Krishna [Draupadi] and of what was longed for by my father. Now, O Kaurava, I shall become in battle free of debt to Bhima. For you will not escape me alive, if you do not leave the battlefield."
Version
9733d00570fc · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Abhimanyu speaks of revenge as the repayment of a "debt" — a debt owed to the insulted Draupadi, to his father's longing, to Bhima's vow. Thus his personal courage rises to the service of the common cause of the family and its trampled honor. It is telling that he, the youngest, takes upon himself what the elders had yearned for, as if inheriting their sacred obligation. The verse teaches that there are debts not of money but of conscience — owed to the insulted, to a given word, to violated justice — and the valiant man considers himself bound to repay them; that fidelity to one's family and its truth is a lofty debt which even the youngest may rightly discharge on behalf of the elders; and that in this awareness of himself as a debtor for another's injury, nobility shows itself, placing the restoration of justice above his own life.