Mahabharata · 7.54.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
कुले जतस्य वीरस्य क्षत्रियस्य विशेषतः ॥
सदृशं मरणं ह्य् एतत् तव पुत्रस्य मा शुचः ॥
दिष्ट्या महारथो वीरः पितुस् तुल्यपराक्रमः ॥
क्षात्रेण विधिना प्राप्तो वीराभिलषितां गतिम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kule jatasya vīrasya kṣatriyasya viśeṣataḥ ||
sadṛśaṃ maraṇaṃ hy etat tava putrasya mā śucaḥ ||
diṣṭyā mahāratho vīraḥ pitus tulyaparākramaḥ ||
kṣātreṇa vidhinā prāpto vīrābhilaṣitāṃ gatim ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कुले जातस्य वीरस्यkule jātasya vīrasyaof the hero born in a [noble] clan; of the warrior born in a clan
क्षत्रियस्य विशेषतःkṣatriyasya viśeṣataḥof a kshatriya — especially; of a kshatriya — particularly
सदृशम् मरणम् हि एतत्sadṛśam maraṇam hi etatfor this death is indeed fitting; for this death is indeed worthy
तव पुत्रस्यtava putrasyaof your son; of your son
मा शुचःmā śucaḥdo not grieve; do not grieve
दिष्ट्या महारथः वीरःdiṣṭyā mahārathaḥ vīraḥby fortune, the great chariot-warrior, the hero; fortunately, the maharatha-hero
पितुः तुल्यपराक्रमःpituḥ tulyaparākramaḥequal to his father in valor; equal to his father in valor
क्षात्रेण विधिना प्राप्तःkṣātreṇa vidhinā prāptaḥby the kshatriya rule attained; by the kshatriya code attained
वीराभिलषिताम् गतिम्vīrābhilaṣitām gatimthe goal desired by heroes; the goal desired by warriors
Translation
"For a hero born in a noble clan, especially a kshatriya, this death is fitting; do not grieve over your son. By good fortune, the great chariot-warrior, a hero equal to his father in valor, has attained, by the kshatriya rule, the goal desired by heroes."
Version
e68c6048b878 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna reverses the very word "diṣṭyā", "fortunately": the boy's death is no misfortune but good fortune, for he has "vīrābhilaṣitāṃ gatim prāptaḥ", attained the goal desired by heroes, "kṣātreṇa vidhinā", by the kshatriya rule. It is telling that the mother is called not to mourn but to rejoice in what her son has achieved. For one faithful to duty, death in battle is a crown, not a ruin. The verse teaches that the light of dharma revalues loss: what appears as grief to a blind eye is, to a seeing one, the joyful fulfillment of a calling — and so even to the mother it is said "diṣṭyā", "fortunately".