Mahabharata · 7.61.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
निवेशने सत्यधृतेः सोमदत्तस्य संजय ॥
आसीनो ऽहं पुरा तात शब्दम् अश्रौषम् उत्तमम् ॥
तद् अद्य हीनपुण्यो ऽहम् आर्तस्वरनिनादितम् ॥
निवेशनं हतोत्साहं पुत्राणां मम लक्षये ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
niveśane satyadhṛteḥ somadattasya saṃjaya ||
āsīno 'haṃ purā tāta śabdam aśrauṣam uttamam ||
tad adya hīnapuṇyo 'ham ārtasvaranināditam ||
niveśanaṃ hatotsāhaṃ putrāṇāṃ mama lakṣaye ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
निवेशने सत्यधृतेःniveśane satyadhṛteḥin the dwelling of Satyadhriti; in the dwelling of Satyadhriti
सोमदत्तस्य संजयsomadattasya saṃjaya[and] of Somadatta, O Sanjaya; and of Somadatta, O Sanjaya
आसीनः अहम् पुरा तातāsīnaḥ aham purā tātasitting, I once, O dear one; sitting, I of old, O dear one
शब्दम् अश्रौषम् उत्तमम्śabdam aśrauṣam uttamamheard an excellent sound; heard a superb sound
तत् अद्य हीनपुण्यः अहम्tat adya hīnapuṇyaḥ ahambut now I, bereft of merit; but now I, bereft of merit
आर्तस्वरनिनादितम्ārtasvaranināditamfilled with cries of pain; filled with cries of anguish
निवेशनम् हतोत्साहम्niveśanam hatotsāhamthe dwelling, [with] extinguished spirit; the dwelling with quenched spirit
पुत्राणाम् मम लक्षयेputrāṇām mama lakṣayeof my sons I observe; of my sons I observe
Translation
"In the dwelling of Satyadhriti and Somadatta, O Sanjaya, sitting, I once, O dear one, heard an excellent sound. But now I, bereft of merit, observe the dwelling of my sons — filled with cries of anguish, its spirit extinguished."
Version
32fa2a3523fb · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra blames himself too: 'hīnapuṇyaḥ aham,' 'I, bereft of merit' — he links the family's misfortune to the depletion of his own piety. The contrast between the 'śabdam uttamam' of the past and the 'ārtasvara' of the present measures the fall. It is telling that this is a confession: the king does not blame fate alone but senses his own lack of righteousness. The verse teaches that the wise, in misfortune, blame first not fate but the depletion of their own merit: where piety has run dry, prosperity turns to lamentation; and an honest 'hīnapuṇyaḥ aham' comes nearer the truth than complaint against an evil destiny alone.