Mahabharata · 7.50.50–51
॥
Devanāgarī
कथं बाले महेष्वासे नृशंसा मर्मभेदिनः ॥
स्वस्रीये वासुदेवस्य मम पुत्रे ऽक्षिपञ् शरान् ॥
यो मां नित्यम् अदीनात्मा प्रत्युद्गम्याभिनन्दति ॥
उपयान्तं रिपून् हत्वा सो ऽद्य मां किं न पश्यति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kathaṃ bāle maheṣvāse nṛśaṃsā marmabhedinaḥ ||
svasrīye vāsudevasya mama putre 'kṣipañ śarān ||
yo māṃ nityam adīnātmā pratyudgamyābhinandati ||
upayāntaṃ ripūn hatvā so 'dya māṃ kiṃ na paśyati ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कथम् बाले महेष्वासेkatham bāle maheṣvāsehow, into a child, a great archer; how, into a child, a mighty bowman
नृशंसाःnṛśaṃsāḥcruel ones [monsters]; monsters
मर्मभेदिनःmarmabhedinaḥpiercers of [into] vital points; strikers at vital points
स्वस्रीये वासुदेवस्यsvasrīye vāsudevasyainto the nephew of Vasudeva [Krishna] through his sister; into Vasudeva's sister's-son
मम पुत्रेmama putreinto my son; into my son
अक्षिपन् शरान्akṣipan śarānhurled arrows; sent arrows
यः माम् नित्यम्yaḥ mām nityamwho me always; who me always
अदीनात्माadīnātmāundespairing in spirit [cheerful]; cheerful in spirit
प्रत्युद्गम्य अभिनन्दतिpratyudgamya abhinandatigoing forth to meet, greets; coming forth to meet, would greet
उपयान्तम्upayāntamapproaching [returning]; approaching
रिपून् हत्वाripūn hatvāhaving slain his enemies; having slain his foes
सः अद्यsaḥ adyahe now; he now
माम् किम् न पश्यतिmām kim na paśyatiwhy does he not see me; why does he not greet me
Translation
"How could monsters, strikers at vital points, hurl arrows into a child, a mighty bowman — into the nephew of Vasudeva through his sister, into my son? He who, always cheerful in spirit, would come forth to meet and greet me, approaching, having slain my enemies — why does he not greet me now?"
Version
fabaebd07b93 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Twice the kinship with Krishna is named — "svasrīye vāsudevasya" — as though this very closeness to the Lord should have protected the boy, and it is all the more monstrous that they "marmabhedinaḥ akṣipan śarān," aimed at his vital points. From the horror of the deed, Arjuna falls back into something simple, childlike: "mām kiṃ na paśyati," "why does he not see me?" — as if still awaiting the familiar joyous meeting. It is telling, this oscillation between comprehension and disbelief. The verse teaches that the heart does not accept loss at once: reason already knows the crime, while love still searches with its eyes for the one who always used to run out to meet it.