Mahabharata · 7.55.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
एतच् छ्रुत्वा वचस् तस्य केशवस्य महात्मनः ॥
सुभद्रा पुत्रशोकार्ता विललाप सुदुःखिता ॥
हा पुत्र मम मन्दायाः कथं संयुगम् एत्य ह ॥
निधनं प्राप्तवांस् तात पितृतुल्यपराक्रमः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
etac chrutvā vacas tasya keśavasya mahātmanaḥ ||
subhadrā putraśokārtā vilalāpa suduḥkhitā ||
hā putra mama mandāyāḥ kathaṃ saṃyugam etya ha ||
nidhanaṃ prāptavāṃs tāta pitṛtulyaparākramaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतत् श्रुत्वा वचः तस्यetat śrutvā vacaḥ tasyahaving heard that speech of his; having heard that speech of his
केशवस्य महात्मनःkeśavasya mahātmanaḥof Keshava [Krishna], the great in spirit; of Keshava, the mighty
सुभद्रा पुत्रशोकार्ताsubhadrā putraśokārtāSubhadra, tormented by grief for her son; Subhadra, grieving for her son
विललाप सुदुःखिताvilalāpa suduḥkhitālamented, deeply distressed; began to lament, struck down by grief
हा पुत्रhā putraO son [my little son]; O my son
मम मन्दायाःmama mandāyāḥfor me, ill-fated; for me, ill-fated
कथम् संयुगम् एत्य हkatham saṃyugam etya hahow, having entered battle; how, having entered combat
निधनम् प्राप्तवान्nidhanam prāptavāndid you meet your death; did you find your death
तातtātachild [my dear one]; my dear one
पितृतुल्यपराक्रमःpitṛtulyaparākramaḥequal to your father in valor; equal to your father in valor
Translation
Having heard that speech of Keshava, the great in spirit, Subhadra, tormented by grief for her son, began to lament, struck down by grief: "O my son! How is it that I, ill-fated, — having entered battle, you met your death, my dear one, equal to your father in valor?"
Version
647c6ba6dac4 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna's consolation does not stop the mother's tears — it gives them an outlet: having heard the Lord, Subhadra still laments. And her first word is 'katham... nidhanaṃ prāptavān,' 'how did you meet your death?' — the same question 'how' as Arjuna's, for the death of one equal to the gods is unfathomable. 'Pitṛtulyaparākramaḥ,' 'equal to his father in valor,' holds maternal pride and maternal pain together. The verse teaches that true consolation does not forbid grief but walks alongside it: even the word of God does not annul the heart's right to mourn the departed, but raises this lament toward hope.