Mahabharata · 7.51.20–21
॥
Devanāgarī
सत्यं वः प्रतिजानामि श्वो ऽस्मि हन्ता जयद्रथम् ॥
न चेद् वधभयाद् भीतो धार्तराष्ट्रान् प्रहास्यति ॥
न चास्माञ् शरणं गच्छेत् कृष्णं वा पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥
भवन्तं वा महाराज श्वो ऽस्मि हन्ता जयद्रथम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
satyaṃ vaḥ pratijānāmi śvo 'smi hantā jayadratham ||
na ced vadhabhayād bhīto dhārtarāṣṭrān prahāsyati ||
na cāsmāñ śaraṇaṃ gacchet kṛṣṇaṃ vā puruṣottamam ||
bhavantaṃ vā mahārāja śvo 'smi hantā jayadratham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सत्यम् वः प्रतिजानामिsatyam vaḥ pratijānāmitruly I vow to you [promise]; truly I swear to you
श्वः अस्मि हन्ता जयद्रथम्śvaḥ asmi hantā jayadrathamtomorrow I shall be the slayer of Jayadratha; tomorrow I shall slay Jayadratha
न चेत्na cetunless [except if]; unless indeed
वधभयात् भीतःvadhabhayāt bhītaḥstruck with fear of death; in fear of death
धार्तराष्ट्रान् प्रहास्यतिdhārtarāṣṭrān prahāsyatihe abandons the sons of Dhritarashtra; he forsakes the Dhartarashtras
न च अस्मान् शरणम् गच्छेत्na ca asmān śaraṇam gacchetand [if he] does not come under our protection; and does not take refuge under our protection
कृष्णम् वा पुरुषोत्तमम्kṛṣṇam vā puruṣottamamor [to] Krishna, the supreme among men; or to Krishna, supreme among men
भवन्तम् वा महाराजbhavantam vā mahārājaor [to] you, O great king; or to you, sovereign
श्वः अस्मि हन्ता जयद्रथम्śvaḥ asmi hantā jayadrathamtomorrow I shall be the slayer of Jayadratha; tomorrow I shall slay Jayadratha
Translation
"Truly I swear to you: tomorrow I shall slay Jayadratha — unless, in fear of death, he forsakes the sons of Dhritarashtra and takes refuge under our protection, or with Krishna, supreme among men, or with you, O great king. Tomorrow I shall slay Jayadratha."
Version
3b5bdaed9575 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The great vow is born, yet even in frenzy it preserves dharma: Arjuna leaves Jayadratha a path of escape — refuge. "Asmān śaraṇaṃ gacchet kṛṣṇaṃ vā… bhavantaṃ vā" — one who comes for shelter he will not touch, for refuge is sacred even for an enemy. It is telling that in the very thirst for vengeance a limit of mercy is set: killing is not unconditional. The refrain "śvo 'smi hantā jayadratham", framing the vow, stamps it as irrevocable. The verse teaches that even righteous wrath knows a boundary: it strikes at wrongdoing but withdraws before one who seeks refuge, for the protection of a supplicant stands higher than vengeance.