Mahabharata · 7.51.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः सैन्धवको राजा क्षुद्रस् तात जयद्रथः ॥
वरदानेन रुद्रस्य सर्वान् नः समवारयत् ॥
ततो द्रोणः कृपः कर्णो द्रौणिश् च स बृहद्बलः ॥
कृतवर्मा च सौभद्रं षड् रथाः पर्यवारयन् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ saindhavako rājā kṣudras tāta jayadrathaḥ ||
varadānena rudrasya sarvān naḥ samavārayat ||
tato droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇo drauṇiś ca sa bṛhadbalaḥ ||
kṛtavarmā ca saubhadraṃ ṣaḍ rathāḥ paryavārayan ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः सैन्धवकः राजाtataḥ saindhavakaḥ rājāthen the king of Sindhu; then the Sindhu king
क्षुद्रःkṣudraḥbase [wretched]; wretched
तातtāta[address] dear one; O dear one
जयद्रथःjayadrathaḥJayadratha; Jayadratha
वरदानेन रुद्रस्यvaradānena rudrasyaby the boon granted by Rudra [Shiva]; by Rudra's boon
सर्वान् नः समवारयत्sarvān naḥ samavārayatheld all of us back [barred the way]; held all of us back
ततः द्रोणः कृपः कर्णःtataḥ droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇaḥthen Drona, Kripa, Karna; then Drona, Kripa, Karna
द्रौणिः चdrauṇiḥ caand the son of Drona [Ashvatthaman]; and Drauni
सः बृहद्बलःsaḥ bṛhadbalaḥand Brihadbala; and Brihadbala
कृतवर्मा चkṛtavarmā caand Kritavarman; and Kritavarman
सौभद्रम्saubhadramsurrounded the son of Subhadra; Saubhadra
षट् रथाःṣaṭ rathāḥsix chariot-warriors; six charioteers
पर्यवारयन्paryavārayansurrounded [him]; encircled [him]
Translation
"Then the wretched Sindhu king, Jayadratha, by the boon of Rudra held all of us back. And then Drona, Kripa, Karna, the son of Drona, Brihadbala, and Kritavarman — six chariot-warriors — surrounded the son of Subhadra."
Version
6a3d005b19fb · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the root of the crime is named: "saindhavakaḥ rājā kṣudraḥ… varadānena rudrasya sarvān naḥ samavārayat" — Jayadratha, by Rudra's boon, barred the way, cutting the boy off from his own. The name "kṣudraḥ", "wretched", and his role as the one who barred the path prepare the ground for Arjuna's vow directed precisely at him. And six of the greatest warriors, "ṣaṭ rathāḥ paryavārayan", surround a single boy. It is telling that it was not valor but a spell, severing the youth from protection, that sealed his fate. The verse teaches that the worst in wrongdoing is not sheer force but the device that tears apart the bond between the defenseless and those who might have saved them.