Mahabharata · 7.43.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
सैन्धवेन निरुद्धेषु जयगृद्धिषु पाण्डुषु ॥
सुघोरम् अभवद् युद्धं त्वदीयानां परैः सह ॥
प्रविश्य त्व् आर्जुनिः सेनां सत्यसंधो दुरासदाम् ॥
व्यक्षोभयत तेजस्वी मकरः सागरं यथा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
saindhavena niruddheṣu jayagṛddhiṣu pāṇḍuṣu ||
sughoram abhavad yuddhaṃ tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha ||
praviśya tv ārjuniḥ senāṃ satyasaṃdho durāsadām ||
vyakṣobhayata tejasvī makaraḥ sāgaraṃ yathā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सैन्धवेनsaindhavenaThe Saindhava [Jayadratha]; the Saindhava
निरुद्धेषुniruddheṣu[when] held back [stopped]; [when] held back
जयगृद्धिषुjayagṛddhiṣuthirsting for victory; thirsting for victory
पाण्डुषुpāṇḍuṣuthe Pandavas; the Pandavas
सुघोरम्sughorammost terrible [dreadful]; most terrible
अभवत्abhavatwas [broke out]; broke out
युद्धम्yuddhambattle [fray]; fray
त्वदीयानाम्tvadīyānāmyour; your
परैः सहparaiḥ sahawith enemies; with enemies
प्रविश्यpraviśyahaving entered [having burst into]; having burst in
तुtuindeed; —
आर्जुनिःārjuniḥthe son of Arjuna [Abhimanyu]; the son of Arjuna
सेनाम्senām[into the] army [host]; [into the] host
सत्यसंधःsatyasaṃdhaḥtrue to his vow [truthful]; true to his vow
दुरासदाम्durāsadāmimpregnable [unassailable]; impregnable
व्यक्षोभयतvyakṣobhayatastirred up [threw into turmoil]; stirred up
तेजस्वीtejasvīfiery [radiant]; radiant
मकरःmakaraḥa makara [sea monster]; [like] a makara
सागरम्sāgaramocean; ocean
यथाyathāas [just as]; —
Translation
When the Pandavas, thirsting for victory, were held back by the Saindhava, a most terrible fray broke out between your men and the enemy. The radiant son of Arjuna, true to his vow, burst into the impregnable host and stirred it up, as a makara stirs the ocean.
Version
d26ac321bb9b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The boy, cut off from his own, does not lose heart, but "stirs up" a whole army, like a sea-monster stirring the ocean: alone amid enemies, he himself becomes a storm for them. Thus a spirit that cannot be broken even by isolation shows itself: deprived of help, it does not surrender but redoubles its onslaught. It is significant that he is called "true to his vow" (satyasaṃdha) — he keeps his given word to the end, whatever comes. The verse teaches that the valiant one, cut off from support, does not despair but grows only more terrible; that fidelity to a vow does not retreat even when there is no hope of rescue; and that one who has burst into the thick of the enemy and is left there can himself become a storm among them — for courage lies not in the number of allies, but in unshakeable spirit.