Mahabharata · 7.48.39–40
॥
Devanāgarī
वयं तु प्रवरं हत्वा तेषां तैः शरपीडिताः ॥
निवेशायाभ्युपायाम सायाह्ने रुधिरोक्षिताः ॥
निरीक्षमाणास् तु वयं परे चायोधनं शनैः ॥
अपयाता महाराज ग्लानिं प्राप्ता विचेतसः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vayaṃ tu pravaraṃ hatvā teṣāṃ taiḥ śarapīḍitāḥ ||
niveśāyābhyupāyāma sāyāhne rudhirokṣitāḥ ||
nirīkṣamāṇās tu vayaṃ pare cāyodhanaṃ śanaiḥ ||
apayātā mahārāja glāniṃ prāptā vicetasaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वयम् तुvayam tuwe, however; but we
प्रवरम् हत्वाpravaram hatvāhaving slain their foremost; having killed their first among them
तेषाम्teṣāmof them; among them
तैः शरपीडिताःtaiḥ śarapīḍitāḥmangled by their arrows; wounded by their arrows
निवेशायniveśāyato the camp [for the night]; to camp
अभ्युपायामabhyupāyāmawe withdrew; we withdrew
सायाह्नेsāyāhnetoward evening [at day's end]; at evening
रुधिरोक्षिताःrudhirokṣitāḥsprinkled with blood; drenched in blood
निरीक्षमाणाःnirīkṣamāṇāḥsurveying [looking over]; surveying
तु वयम्tu vayamwe; we
परेparethe enemies [the other side]; the foes
चcaand; and
आयोधनम्āyodhanamthe field of battle; the battlefield
शनैःśanaiḥslowly [little by little]; slowly
अपयाताःapayātāḥwithdrew [departed]; went away
महाराजmahārājaO great king; O sovereign
ग्लानिम् प्राप्ताःglānim prāptāḥfallen into exhaustion; overcome with weariness
विचेतसःvicetasaḥhaving lost their wits [bewildered]; in confusion of mind
Translation
But we, having slain their foremost, wounded by their arrows and drenched in blood, withdrew to camp toward evening. Surveying the battlefield, both we and the enemy slowly went away, O sovereign, overcome with weariness, in confusion of mind.
Version
45a72791472b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Sanjaya does not gloat. "Glānim prāptāḥ… vicetasaḥ," "overcome with weariness, in confusion of mind," — such is the state of the victors themselves. It is telling that "both we and the enemy" leave the field equally broken: the killing of a boy brought no joy even to those who killed him. The words "pravaram hatvā," "having slain their foremost," sound dry and without pride — as though the narrator himself senses the wrong that was done. Here the verse teaches that a victory won against dharma does not fill the heart but empties it, leveling victor and vanquished alike in weariness and confusion.