Mahabharata · 7.50.72–73
॥
Devanāgarī
सनागस्यन्दनहयान् द्रक्ष्यध्वं निहतान् मया ॥
संग्रामे सानुबन्धांस् तान् मम पुत्रस्य वैरिणः ॥
कथं च वः कृतास्त्राणां सर्वेषां शस्त्रपाणिनाम् ॥
सौभद्रो निधनं गच्छेद् वज्रिणापि समागतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sanāgasyandanahayān drakṣyadhvaṃ nihatān mayā ||
saṃgrāme sānubandhāṃs tān mama putrasya vairiṇaḥ ||
kathaṃ ca vaḥ kṛtāstrāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ śastrapāṇinām ||
saubhadro nidhanaṃ gacched vajriṇāpi samāgataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सनागस्यन्दनहयान्sanāgasyandanahayāntogether with elephants, chariots, and horses; with elephants, chariots, and horses
द्रक्ष्यध्वम् निहतान् मयाdrakṣyadhvam nihatān mayāyou will see slain by me; you will see slain by me
संग्रामे सानुबन्धान्saṃgrāme sānubandhānin battle, together with their kin; in battle, with their kin
तान् मम पुत्रस्य वैरिणःtān mama putrasya vairiṇaḥthose enemies of my son; those foes of my son
कथम् च वः कृतास्त्राणाम्katham ca vaḥ kṛtāstrāṇāmand how could it be with you, skilled in weapons; and how, with you skilled in arms
सर्वेषाम् शस्त्रपाणिनाम्sarveṣām śastrapāṇināmall of you, with weapons in hand; all of you, armed
सौभद्रः निधनम् गच्छेत्saubhadraḥ nidhanam gacchetthe son of Subhadra came to death; Saubhadra should have met his death
वज्रिणा अपि समागतःvajriṇā api samāgataḥeven had he encountered the Thunderer [Indra]; even had he met the Thunderer
Translation
"You will see them slain by me in battle — with elephants, chariots, and horses, with their kin — those enemies of my son. And how could it be that, with you skilled in arms, all of you armed, the son of Subhadra came to death — even had he encountered the Thunderer himself?"
Version
308624c62a23 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A vow of vengeance and an anguished reproach are intertwined: "drakṣyadhvaṃ nihatān mayā", "you will see them slain by me", stands beside the tormented "kathaṃ… saubhadro nidhanaṃ gacchet", "how could he have perished among you?". "Vajriṇā api samāgataḥ", "even had he met Indra himself", measures the boy's valor: not even a god should have been enough to overcome him, let alone men in an unarmed formation. It is telling that the reproach is born not of malice but of the unthinkability of what happened. The verse teaches that the question "how was this allowed?" is a form of love that refuses to believe the loved one could not have been saved.