Mahabharata · 7.50.74–75
॥
Devanāgarī
यद्य् एवम् अहम् अज्ञास्यम् अशक्तान् रक्षणे मम ॥
पुत्रस्य पाण्डुपाञ्चालान् मया गुप्तो भवेत् ततः ॥
कथं च वो रथस्थानां शरवर्षाणि मुञ्चताम् ॥
नीतो ऽभिमन्युर् निधनं कदर्थीकृत्य वः परैः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yady evam aham ajñāsyam aśaktān rakṣaṇe mama ||
putrasya pāṇḍupāñcālān mayā gupto bhavet tataḥ ||
kathaṃ ca vo rathasthānāṃ śaravarṣāṇi muñcatām ||
nīto 'bhimanyur nidhanaṃ kadarthīkṛtya vaḥ paraiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यदि एवम् अहम् अज्ञास्यम्yadi evam aham ajñāsyamif I had known this [about this]; had I known
अशक्तान् रक्षणे ममaśaktān rakṣaṇe mama[you,] unable to protect my; you, not strong enough to guard
पुत्रस्यputrasyason; my son
पाण्डुपाञ्चालान्pāṇḍupāñcālānthe Pandavas and Panchalas; the Pandavas and Panchalas
मया गुप्तः भवेत् ततःmayā guptaḥ bhavet tataḥhe would have been protected by me then; then he would have been guarded by me
कथम् च वः रथस्थानाम्katham ca vaḥ rathasthānāmand how could it be with you, who stood on chariots; and how, with you, on chariots
शरवर्षाणि मुञ्चताम्śaravarṣāṇi muñcatāmpouring showers of arrows; pouring streams of arrows
नीतः अभिमन्युः निधनम्nītaḥ abhimanyuḥ nidhanamAbhimanyu was brought to death; Abhimanyu was led to his death
कदर्थीकृत्य वः परैःkadarthīkṛtya vaḥ paraiḥby enemies, having humiliated [disdained] you; by enemies, having humiliated you
Translation
"Had I known that you — Pandavas and Panchalas — were unable to guard my son, then he would have been protected by me. And how could it be that you, standing on chariots, pouring streams of arrows, let Abhimanyu be led to his death — by enemies who humiliated you?"
Version
a64e93fb075a · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The reproach sharpens into self-reproach: "yadi evam aham ajñāsyam… mayā guptaḥ bhavet", "had I known — I myself would have guarded him". Having entrusted his son to others, the father blames himself too for that trust. "Kadarthīkṛtya vaḥ paraiḥ", "by enemies who humiliated you", — the boy's death has also become the shame of his comrades: they not only failed to save him but were disgraced themselves. It is telling that grief seeks the guilty on every side, sparing not even the grieving one himself. The verse teaches that in a time of loss, reproach toward others and reproach toward oneself are two faces of the same pain, and both will need an answer from dharma, not from wrath.