Mahabharata · 7.41.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्य ज्यातलघोषेण क्षत्रियान् भयम् आविशत् ॥
परांस् तु तव सैन्यस्य हर्षः परमको ऽभवत् ॥
दृष्ट्वा तु क्षत्रिया भारं सैन्धवे सर्वम् अर्पितम् ॥
उत्क्रुश्याभ्यद्रवन् राजन् येन यौधिष्ठिरं बलम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasya jyātalaghoṣeṇa kṣatriyān bhayam āviśat ||
parāṃs tu tava sainyasya harṣaḥ paramako 'bhavat ||
dṛṣṭvā tu kṣatriyā bhāraṃ saindhave sarvam arpitam ||
utkruśyābhyadravan rājan yena yaudhiṣṭhiraṃ balam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्यtasyahis; his
ज्यातलघोषेणjyātalaghoṣeṇaby the twang of his bowstring and finger-guard; by the twang of his bowstring and finger-guard
क्षत्रियान्kṣatriyān[into] the kshatriyas [warriors]; [into] the kshatriyas
भयम्bhayamfear; fear
आविशत्āviśatentered [seized]; entered
परान्parān[into] the enemies [foes]; [into] the enemies
तुtuindeed; —
तव सैन्यस्यtava sainyasya[in] your army; [in] your army
हर्षःharṣaḥjoy [delight]; joy
परमकःparamakaḥthe greatest [supreme]; the greatest
अभवत्abhavatarose [came]; arose
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; having spotted
तुtuindeed; —
क्षत्रियाःkṣatriyāḥthe kshatriyas [warriors]; the kshatriyas
भारम्bhāramthe burden [load]; the burden
सैन्धवेsaindhaveupon the Sindhu king [Jayadratha]; upon the Sindhu king
सर्वम्sarvamentire; entire
अर्पितम्arpitamplaced [laid]; placed
उत्क्रुश्यutkruśyahaving shouted [raising a war cry]; raising a war cry
अभ्यद्रवन्abhyadravanrushed [charged]; rushed
राजन्rājanO king; O king
येनyenato where; to where
यौधिष्ठिरम् बलम्yaudhiṣṭhiram balamthe army of Yudhishthira; the army of Yudhishthira
Translation
By the twang of his bowstring and finger-guard, fear entered the enemy kshatriyas, while in your army the greatest joy arose. Having spotted the entire burden placed upon the Sindhu king, the kshatriyas, raising a war cry, rushed, O king, to where the army of Yudhishthira was.
Version
1dfff5d07e16 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A single barrier changes everything: fear passes to the side of the Pandavas, joy to the side of the Kauravas, and the entire burden of the battle falls on Jayadratha alone. Thus it shows how much a single barrier in the right place can decide — it turns the spirit of both hosts. It is significant that the boy's tragedy is set in motion not on his own field of battle but here, at the gate where Jayadratha stood. The verse teaches that the outcome is sometimes decided not where the main clash rages but at an unnoticed barrier cutting off help; that courage and fear pass through an army in an instant, according to who is prevailing; and that all the grief to come — the death of Abhimanyu — began here, at Jayadratha's barrier, for one who is cut off has no way to be saved, however hard his defenders may strive to reach him.