Mahabharata · 7.53.40–41
॥
Devanāgarī
द्रष्टासि श्वो महेष्वासान् नाराचैस् तिग्मतेजनैः ॥
शृङ्गाणीव गिरेर् वज्रैर् दार्यमाणान् मया युधि ॥
नरनागाश्वदेहेभ्यो विस्रविष्यति शोणितम् ॥
पतद्भ्यः पतितेभ्यश् च विभिन्नेभ्यः शितैः शरैः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
draṣṭāsi śvo maheṣvāsān nārācais tigmatejanaiḥ ||
śṛṅgāṇīva girer vajrair dāryamāṇān mayā yudhi ||
naranāgāśvadehebhyo visraviṣyati śoṇitam ||
patadbhyaḥ patitebhyaś ca vibhinnebhyaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
द्रष्टासि श्वः महेष्वासान्draṣṭāsi śvaḥ maheṣvāsānyou will see tomorrow the great archers; you will behold tomorrow the mighty bowmen
नाराचैः तिग्मतेजनैःnārācaiḥ tigmatejanaiḥwith iron arrows of the sharpest point; with fiery-tipped arrows
शृङ्गाणि इव गिरेःśṛṅgāṇi iva gireḥlike the peaks of a mountain; like mountain peaks
वज्रैः दार्यमाणान् मया युधिvajraiḥ dāryamāṇān mayā yudhisplit by thunderbolts, by me in battle; by lightning bolts, split by me in battle
नरनागाश्वदेहेभ्यःnaranāgāśvadehebhyaḥfrom the bodies of men, elephants and horses; from the bodies of men, elephants, horses
विस्रविष्यति शोणितम्visraviṣyati śoṇitamblood will stream; blood will gush
पतद्भ्यः पतितेभ्यः चpatadbhyaḥ patitebhyaḥ ca[from those] falling and fallen; from falling and fallen ones
विभिन्नेभ्यः शितैः शरैःvibhinnebhyaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥcleaved by sharp arrows; cleaved by sharp arrows
Translation
"You will see tomorrow the great archers, like mountain peaks, split by me in battle with sharp iron arrows as if by thunderbolts. From the bodies of men, elephants, and horses — falling and fallen, cleaved by sharp arrows — blood will stream."
Version
5468a805b13b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna speaks not in boast but in vision of what is inevitable: the great archers will fall, "śṛṅgāṇi iva gireḥ vajraiḥ", like mountain peaks under thunderbolts. The image is fearsome, but it is the speech of a warrior fulfilling the duty of retribution for a boy lawlessly slain, not an intoxication with blood. It is telling that his might is likened to the vajra — the celestial weapon of righteousness that shatters strongholds. The verse reminds that war, even a righteous one, is blood and death; and the warrior's duty is to bear it not with relish but as the heavy fulfillment of justice.