Mahabharata · 7.56.10–11
॥
Devanāgarī
कष्टं हीदं व्यवसितं पाण्डवेन महात्मना ॥
पुत्रशोकाभितप्तेन प्रतिज्ञा महती कृता ॥
भ्रातरश् चापि विक्रान्ता बहुलानि बलानि च ॥
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रेण सर्वं तस्मै निवेदितम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaṣṭaṃ hīdaṃ vyavasitaṃ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā ||
putraśokābhitaptena pratijñā mahatī kṛtā ||
bhrātaraś cāpi vikrāntā bahulāni balāni ca ||
dhṛtarāṣṭrasya putreṇa sarvaṃ tasmai niveditam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कष्टम् हि इदम् व्यवसितम्kaṣṭam hi idam vyavasitamfor hard indeed is this resolve; for difficult indeed is this resolve
पाण्डवेन महात्मनाpāṇḍavena mahātmanāby the Pandava, the great-souled one; by the mighty Pandava
पुत्रशोकाभितप्तेनputraśokābhitaptenaburned by grief for his son; scorched by grief for his son
प्रतिज्ञा महती कृताpratijñā mahatī kṛtāa great vow was made; a great vow was made
भ्रातरः च अपि विक्रान्ताःbhrātaraḥ ca api vikrāntāḥand [the enemy's] brothers are valiant; and [the foe's] brothers are valiant
बहुलानि बलानि चbahulāni balāni caand the forces are numerous; and the armies are numerous
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पुत्रेणdhṛtarāṣṭrasya putreṇaby the son of Dhritarashtra; by the son of Dhritarashtra
सर्वम् तस्मै निवेदितम्sarvam tasmai niveditameverything has been reported to him [Jayadratha]; everything has been reported to him
Translation
"For hard indeed is this resolve: the Pandava, the great-souled one, burned by grief for his son, has made a great vow. And the [enemy's] brothers are valiant, and the forces are numerous; the son of Dhritarashtra has already reported everything to him [Jayadratha]."
Version
594f908fe3ce · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The anxiety is precise: the vow is "mahatī," great, and the obstacles are immense — valiant brothers, countless armies, and the enemy already forewarned. "Putraśokābhitaptena... pratijñā kṛtā," "the vow was made by one scorched by grief," sounds again — the word was born of sorrow, not calculation. It is telling that those who love do not deceive themselves: they see the full difficulty clearly. The verse teaches that true love for a righteous man's cause does not close its eyes to danger: it prays and worries at once, and in this sober anxiety there is no lack of faith but a measure of understanding of how great the stake at hazard truly is.