Mahabharata · 7.58.6–7
॥
Devanāgarī
स मेघसमनिर्घोषो महाञ् शब्दो ऽस्पृशद् दिवम् ॥
पार्थिवप्रवरं सुप्तं युधिष्ठिरम् अबोधयत् ॥
प्रतिबुद्धः सुखं सुप्तो महार्हे शयनोत्तमे ॥
उत्थायावश्यकार्यार्थं ययौ स्नानगृहं ततः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa meghasamanirghoṣo mahāñ śabdo 'spṛśad divam ||
pārthivapravaraṃ suptaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram abodhayat ||
pratibuddhaḥ sukhaṃ supto mahārhe śayanottame ||
utthāyāvaśyakāryārthaṃ yayau snānagṛhaṃ tataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः मेघसमनिर्घोषःsaḥ meghasamanirghoṣaḥthat, cloud-like in roar; that, like the roar of a cloud
महान् शब्दः अस्पृशत् दिवम्mahān śabdaḥ aspṛśat divamgreat sound touched the sky; great roar touched the sky
पार्थिवप्रवरम् सुप्तम्pārthivapravaram suptamthe foremost of kings, asleep; the first among kings, asleep
युधिष्ठिरम् अबोधयत्yudhiṣṭhiram abodhayatwoke Yudhishthira; woke Yudhishthira
प्रतिबुद्धः सुखम् सुप्तःpratibuddhaḥ sukham suptaḥawakened, sweetly sleeping; awakened, sweetly sleeping
महार्हे शयनोत्तमेmahārhe śayanottameon the precious, finest couch; on the precious, finest couch
उत्थाय अवश्यकार्यार्थम्utthāya avaśyakāryārthamhaving risen, for the sake of necessary duties; having risen, for necessary duties
ययौ स्नानगृहम् ततःyayau snānagṛham tataḥwent then to the bathing chamber; went then to the bathing chamber
Translation
That great sound, cloud-like in its roar, touched the sky and woke the foremost of kings, the sleeping Yudhishthira. Awakened from sweet sleep on his precious, finest couch, having risen for the sake of necessary duties, he then went to the bathing chamber.
Version
6f2ef1fcbbde · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse is quiet and true to life: the king "sukhaṃ suptaḥ", slept sweetly, and rises at the call of day to "avaśyakārya", necessary duties. It is telling that Yudhishthira, in whose hands the outcome of the war rests, begins the decisive day not with weapons but with bathing and rite — with an order rooted in the sacred. The verse teaches that duty is preceded by purity: the righteous does not rush into the day's affairs before setting himself in order in body and spirit; and even the most dreadful day begins as every day does — with washing and turning to duty.