Mahabharata · 7.57.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
इत्य् उक्तो वासुदेवेन बीभत्सुर् अपराजितः ॥
आबभाषे तदा विद्वान् इदं वचनम् अर्थवत् ॥
मया प्रतिज्ञा महती जयद्रथवधे कृता ॥
श्वो ऽस्मि हन्ता दुरात्मानं पुत्रघ्नम् इति केशव ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ity ukto vāsudevena bībhatsur aparājitaḥ ||
ābabhāṣe tadā vidvān idaṃ vacanam arthavat ||
mayā pratijñā mahatī jayadrathavadhe kṛtā ||
śvo 'smi hantā durātmānaṃ putraghnam iti keśava ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इति उक्तः वासुदेवेनiti uktaḥ vāsudevenathus addressed by Vasudeva; thus counseled by Vasudeva
बीभत्सुः अपराजितःbībhatsuḥ aparājitaḥBibhatsu the unconquered; the unconquered Bibhatsu
आबभाषे तदा विद्वान्ābabhāṣe tadā vidvānthen spoke, the wise one; then spoke, the wise one
इदम् वचनम् अर्थवत्idam vacanam arthavatthis weighty [meaningful] word; this weighty word
मया प्रतिज्ञा महतीmayā pratijñā mahatīby me a great vow; by me a great vow
जयद्रथवधे कृताjayadrathavadhe kṛtāconcerning the slaying of Jayadratha was made; concerning the slaying of Jayadratha was made
श्वः अस्मि हन्ता दुरात्मानम्śvaḥ asmi hantā durātmānam"tomorrow I am the slayer of the wicked one"; "tomorrow I shall slay the wicked one"
पुत्रघ्नम् इति केशवputraghnam iti keśavathe killer of my son, O Keshava; the killer of my son, O Keshava
Translation
Thus counseled by Vasudeva, the unconquered Bibhatsu, the wise one, then spoke this weighty word: "By me a great vow was made concerning the slaying of Jayadratha: 'Tomorrow I shall slay the wicked one, the killer of my son,' O Keshava."
Version
92c7c8c7dc5e · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna answers not by denying his grief but by revealing its cause: his anxiety is not over sorrow as such, but over whether his vow can be kept. "Pratijñā mahatī… kṛtā," "a great vow was made" — this is the source of his distress. It is significant that the wise man shares with the Lord the very heart of his concern, hiding nothing. The verse teaches that before God one must reveal the true cause of one's anxiety: not vague despondency, but the actual burden; for only a concern named plainly can be understood and resolved by the One to whom it is addressed.