Mahabharata · 7.59.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
न हि तत् कुरुते संख्ये कार्तवीर्यसमस् त्व् अपि ॥
रथी यत् कुरुते कृष्ण सारथिर् यत्नम् आस्थितः ॥
वासुदेव उवाच
सामरेष्व् अपि लोकेषु सर्वेषु न तथाविधः ॥
शरासनधरः कश् चिद् यथा पार्थो धनंजयः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
na hi tat kurute saṃkhye kārtavīryasamas tv api ||
rathī yat kurute kṛṣṇa sārathir yatnam āsthitaḥ ||
vāsudeva uvāca
sāmareṣv api lokeṣu sarveṣu na tathāvidhaḥ ||
śarāsanadharaḥ kaś cid yathā pārtho dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न हि तत् कुरुते संख्येna hi tat kurute saṃkhyefor that he does not accomplish in battle; for that he will not accomplish in the fight
कार्तवीर्यसमः तु अपिkārtavīryasamaḥ tu apieven one equal to Kartavirya; even one equal to Kartavirya
रथी यत् कुरुते कृष्णrathī yat kurute kṛṣṇaa chariot-warrior, what he accomplishes, O Krishna; what a charioteer-warrior accomplishes, O Krishna
सारथिः यत्नम् आस्थितःsārathiḥ yatnam āsthitaḥ[when] the charioteer applies diligence; when the charioteer is diligent
सामरेषु अपि लोकेषुsāmareṣu api lokeṣuand in worlds even with the gods; and in worlds with the gods
सर्वेषु न तथाविधःsarveṣu na tathāvidhaḥin all -- there is no such one; in all -- there is no such one
शरासनधरः कः चित्śarāsanadharaḥ kaḥ citbow-bearer, any; any bow-bearer
यथा पार्थः धनंजयःyathā pārthaḥ dhanaṃjayaḥas Partha Dhananjaya; as Partha Dhananjaya
Translation
"For not even a chariot-warrior equal to Kartavirya accomplishes in battle what he accomplishes, O Krishna, when the charioteer applies himself with diligence. And in all the worlds, even among the gods, there is no bow-bearer like Partha Dhananjaya."
Version
ba3a21846c2f · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Yudhishthira reveals the secret of victory: it is decided not by the warrior alone, but by the "sārathiḥ yatnam āsthitaḥ", the diligent charioteer. The charioteer -- Krishna -- matters more than the greatest of chariot-warriors. It is significant that the praise of Arjuna the archer is at once made subordinate to this truth: even the peerless archer is powerless without the divine charioteer. The verse teaches that in the battle of life it is not the human charioteer's strength that decides, but the One who holds the reins: where the Lord is charioteer, even an ordinary warrior accomplishes the impossible, and without Him even the greatest is powerless.