Mahabharata · 7.53.55–56
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
एवम् उक्त्वा हृषीकेशं स्वयम् आत्मानम् आत्मना ॥
संदिदेशार्जुनो नर्दन् वासविः केशवं प्रभुम् ॥
यथा प्रभातां रजनीं कल्पितः स्याद् रथो मम ॥
तथा कार्यं त्वया कृष्ण कार्यं हि महद् उद्यतम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśaṃ svayam ātmānam ātmanā ||
saṃdideśārjuno nardan vāsaviḥ keśavaṃ prabhum ||
yathā prabhātāṃ rajanīṃ kalpitaḥ syād ratho mama ||
tathā kāryaṃ tvayā kṛṣṇa kāryaṃ hi mahad udyatam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् उक्त्वा हृषीकेशम्evam uktvā hṛṣīkeśamhaving thus spoken to Hrishikesha [Krishna]; having thus said to Hrishikesha
स्वयम् आत्मानम् आत्मनाsvayam ātmānam ātmanāhimself steadying himself by himself [strengthened by his own will]; himself steadying himself by himself [having strengthened himself]
संदिदेश अर्जुनः नर्दन्saṃdideśa arjunaḥ nardanArjuna, roaring, commanded; Arjuna, roaring, charged
वासविः केशवम् प्रभुम्vāsaviḥ keśavam prabhumthe son of Vasava — the lord Keshava; the son of Vasava — the lord Keshava
यथा प्रभाताम् रजनीम्yathā prabhātām rajanīm[so that] by the dawning of the night; by the close of night
कल्पितः स्यात् रथः ममkalpitaḥ syāt rathaḥ mamamy chariot should be made ready; my chariot should be made ready
तथा कार्यम् त्वया कृष्णtathā kāryam tvayā kṛṣṇaso let it be done by you, O Krishna; so do it, O Krishna
कार्यम् हि महत् उद्यतम्kāryam hi mahat udyatamfor a great deed has been undertaken; for a great task has been set in motion
Translation
Having thus spoken to Hrishikesha — steadying himself by his own will — Arjuna, son of Vasava, roaring, charged the lord Keshava: "Let my chariot be made ready by the close of night; so do it, O Krishna, for a great deed has been undertaken."
Version
47295ac39d59 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The chapter closes with the turn from vow to deed: "kāryaṃ hi mahat udyatam" — for a great deed has been undertaken. It is telling that Arjuna, having just entrusted victory to Narayana, immediately turns to an earthly matter — the readying of the chariot by dawn: trust in the Lord does not abolish labor but calls it forth. "Svayam ātmānam ātmanā" — having steadied himself by himself — he gathers his will into one. The verse teaches that faith completes itself in action: having given the outcome over to God, the devotee does not sit waiting, but prepares, with everything in his power, for the appointed hour, and meets the great task gathered and ready.