Mahabharata · 7.50.35–36
॥
Devanāgarī
रूपं चाप्रतिरूपं तत् त्रिदशेष्व् अपि दुर्लभम् ॥
अपश्यतो ऽद्य वीरस्य का शान्तिर् हृदयस्य मे ॥
अभिवादनदक्षं तं पितॄणां वचने रतम् ॥
नाद्याहं यदि पश्यामि का शान्तिर् हृदयस्य मे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rūpaṃ cāpratirūpaṃ tat tridaśeṣv api durlabham ||
apaśyato 'dya vīrasya kā śāntir hṛdayasya me ||
abhivādanadakṣaṃ taṃ pitṝṇāṃ vacane ratam ||
nādyāhaṃ yadi paśyāmi kā śāntir hṛdayasya me ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
रूपम् च अप्रतिरूपम् तत्rūpam ca apratirūpam tatand that incomparable form; that peerless form
त्रिदशेषु अपि दुर्लभम्tridaśeṣu api durlabhamrare even among the gods; rare even among the gods
अपश्यतः अद्य वीरस्यapaśyataḥ adya vīrasyafor one not seeing now that hero; not seeing now the hero
का शान्तिः हृदयस्य मेkā śāntiḥ hṛdayasya mewhat peace for my heart; what peace for my heart
अभिवादनदक्षम् तम्abhivādanadakṣam tamskilled in salutation [respectful]; courteous in bowing
पितॄणाम् वचने रतम्pitṝṇām vacane ratamdevoted to the word of elders; faithful to the word of his elders
न अद्य अहम् यदि पश्यामिna adya aham yadi paśyāmiif today I do not see; if today I do not see
का शान्तिः हृदयस्य मेkā śāntiḥ hṛdayasya mewhat peace for my heart; what peace for my heart
Translation
"And that peerless form, rare even among the gods — not seeing now that hero, what peace is there for my heart? Courteous in bowing, faithful to the word of his elders — if today I do not see him, what peace is there for my heart?"
Version
a3d012caa12e · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The refrain continues, and in it sounds a final note: the boy's form "tridaśeṣu api durlabham," "rare even among the gods" — and at once, again, virtue: "pitṝṇāṃ vacane ratam," "faithful to the word of his elders." It is telling that the father, to the last, weaves beauty together with obedience: memory does not separate the beautiful from the good. The repeated "kā śāntiḥ," "what peace," turns grief into an admission: there will be no peace, for what was "rare even among the gods" is gone beyond return. The verse teaches that such a loss cannot be soothed — it can only be named, again and again, until the heart surrenders it to the Lord.