Mahabharata · 7.50.48–49
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ वा मत्प्रसूतश् च स्वस्रीयो माधवस्य च ॥
सुभद्रायां च संभूतो नैवं वक्तुम् इहार्हति ॥
वज्रसारमयं नूनं हृदयं सुदृढं मम ॥
अपश्यतो दीर्घबाहुं रक्ताक्षं यन् न दीर्यते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
atha vā matprasūtaś ca svasrīyo mādhavasya ca ||
subhadrāyāṃ ca saṃbhūto naivaṃ vaktum ihārhati ||
vajrasāramayaṃ nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ sudṛḍhaṃ mama ||
apaśyato dīrghabāhuṃ raktākṣaṃ yan na dīryate ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथ वाatha vāor else [however]; or else
मत्प्रसूतः चmatprasūtaḥ caborn of me; my own begotten
स्वस्रीयः माधवस्य चsvasrīyaḥ mādhavasya caand nephew of Madhava [Krishna] through his sister; and Madhava's sister's-son
सुभद्रायाम् च संभूतःsubhadrāyām ca saṃbhūtaḥand born of Subhadra; and born of Subhadra
न एवम् वक्तुम् इह अर्हतिna evam vaktum iha arhatiwould not speak thus here; would not have spoken so
वज्रसारमयम् नूनम्vajrasāramayam nūnamsurely of adamantine essence [hard as a thunderbolt]; surely of adamantine stuff
हृदयम् सुदृढम् ममhṛdayam sudṛḍham mamamy heart, most firm; my most steadfast heart
अपश्यतः दीर्घबाहुम्apaśyataḥ dīrghabāhumfor one not seeing the mighty-armed; not seeing the mighty-armed one
रक्ताक्षम्raktākṣamred-eyed; red-eyed
यत् न दीर्यतेyat na dīryatethat it does not split [does not break asunder]; that it does not shatter
Translation
"Or else — my own begotten, and by his sister Madhava's nephew, and born of Subhadra — he would not have spoken so. Surely my heart is of adamantine stuff, most steadfast, that, not seeing the mighty-armed, red-eyed one, it does not shatter."
Version
e24960083f19 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Love argues with itself: having just imagined the plaintive cry, the father rejects it — "na evaṃ vaktum iha arhati," "he would not have spoken so": the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, nephew of Krishna, would not have begged for mercy. In this correction lies the boy's highest honor and the father's own consolation. And at once — "vajrasāramayaṃ... hṛdayaṃ... yat na dīryate," "a heart of adamant, that it does not shatter": grief that should kill does not kill. It is telling, this movement from anguish to pride. The verse teaches that faith in the nobility of the departed heals the wound itself, turning imagined weakness into certain valor.