Mahabharata · 7.52.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
अभिमन्योः पितुर् भीतः सव्रीडो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥
यो ऽसौ पाण्डोः किल क्षेत्रे जातः शक्रेण कामिना ॥
स निनीषति दुर्बुद्धिर् मां किलैकं यमक्षयम् ॥
तत् स्वस्ति वो ऽस्तु यास्यामि स्वगृहं जीवितेप्सया ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
abhimanyoḥ pitur bhītaḥ savrīḍo vākyam abravīt ||
yo 'sau pāṇḍoḥ kila kṣetre jātaḥ śakreṇa kāminā ||
sa ninīṣati durbuddhir māṃ kilaikaṃ yamakṣayam ||
tat svasti vo 'stu yāsyāmi svagṛhaṃ jīvitepsayā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अभिमन्योः पितुः भीतःabhimanyoḥ pituḥ bhītaḥterrified by Abhimanyu's father; in fear before Abhimanyu's father
सव्रीडःsavrīḍaḥwith shame [confounded]; with shame
वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्vākyam abravītspoke a word; uttered a word
यः असौ पाण्डोः किल क्षेत्रेyaḥ asau pāṇḍoḥ kila kṣetrehe who, they say, in the field of Pandu; he who, it is heard, in the field of Pandu
जातः शक्रेण कामिनाjātaḥ śakreṇa kāmināwas born of amorous Shakra [Indra]; was born of passionate Shakra
सः निनीषति दुर्बुद्धिःsaḥ ninīṣati durbuddhiḥhe, evil-minded, wishes to lead away; he, malicious, seeks to bring
माम् किल एकम्mām kila ekamme, they say, alone; me alone
यमक्षयम्yamakṣayamto the abode of Yama; to the dwelling of Yama
तत् स्वस्ति वः अस्तुtat svasti vaḥ astuso may good fortune be yours [farewell]; so farewell then
यास्यामि स्वगृहम्yāsyāmi svagṛhamI shall go to my own house; I shall go home
जीवितेप्सयाjīvitepsayāout of desire [to preserve] life; for the sake of saving my life
Translation
In fear before Abhimanyu's father, with shame, he spoke a word: "He who, it is heard, was born in the field of Pandu of passionate Shakra — he, malicious, wishes to lead me alone to the abode of Yama. So farewell then; I shall go home for the sake of saving my life."
Version
815772c2b1e3 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Fear strips Jayadratha of both dignity and measure: he is ready to "yāsyāmi svagṛhaṃ jīvitepsayā" — flee home for the sake of life — and at the same moment slanders Arjuna's origin, "pāṇḍoḥ kṣetre jātaḥ śakreṇa", supposedly begotten by Indra on another's field. It is telling that "savrīḍaḥ", "with shame", marks his own awareness of the disgrace of flight — yet fear proves stronger than shame. Slander of the enemy is a wretched attempt to cover cowardice. The verse teaches that fear lays a man bare: where there is no footing in dharma, valor turns into flight, and wounded pride into petty abuse.