Mahabharata · 7.61.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
स्तुवतां नाद्य श्रूयन्ते पुत्राणां शिबिरे मम ॥
सूतमागधसंघानां नर्तकानां च सर्वशः ॥
शब्देन नादिताभीक्ष्णम् अभवद् यत्र मे श्रुतिः ॥
दीनानाम् अद्य तं शब्दं न शृणोमि समीरितम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
stuvatāṃ nādya śrūyante putrāṇāṃ śibire mama ||
sūtamāgadhasaṃghānāṃ nartakānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ ||
śabdena nāditābhīkṣṇam abhavad yatra me śrutiḥ ||
dīnānām adya taṃ śabdaṃ na śṛṇomi samīritam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्तुवताम् न अद्य श्रूयन्तेstuvatām na adya śrūyantethe praisers are not heard now; the praisers are not heard now
पुत्राणाम् शिबिरे ममputrāṇām śibire mamain the camp of my sons; in the camp of my sons
सूतमागधसंघानाम्sūtamāgadhasaṃghānāmof the throngs of sutas and magadhas; of the throngs of sutas and magadhas
नर्तकानाम् च सर्वशःnartakānām ca sarvaśaḥand of dancers — everywhere; and of dancers — everywhere
शब्देन नादिता अभीक्ष्णम्śabdena nāditā abhīkṣṇamconstantly filled with sound; always filled with the din
अभवत् यत्र मे श्रुतिःabhavat yatra me śrutiḥwas, where my hearing was; was, where my hearing dwelt
दीनानाम् अद्य तम् शब्दम्dīnānām adya tam śabdamof the afflicted, now that sound; of the afflicted, now that din
न शृणोमि समीरितम्na śṛṇomi samīritamI do not hear being uttered; I do not hear uttered
Translation
"The praise-singers are no longer heard in the camp of my sons — the throngs of sutas and magadhas, and dancers everywhere. Where once my ear was constantly filled with sound, now I do not hear even the sound of the afflicted being uttered."
Version
863a00edc39b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The king tells over the silenced things like beads of loss: no sutas, no magadhas, no dancers. 'Dīnānām adya tam śabdam,' 'now [only] the sound of the afflicted' — even that is not heard, for grief runs deeper than weeping. It is telling that the blind Dhritarashtra lives by hearing, and so silence speaks to him most eloquently of all. The verse teaches that for one deprived of sight, hearing becomes the soul's eye: both silence and weeping tell him of fate more clearly than any sight; and for us, that an attentive heart can know the truth without visible signs, by the mere change in what was once familiar.