Mahabharata · 7.61.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
विविंशतेर् दुर्मुखस्य चित्रसेनविकर्णयोः ॥
अन्येषां च सुतानां मे न तथा श्रूयते ध्वनिः ॥
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्या यं शिष्याः पर्युपासते ॥
द्रोणपुत्रं महेष्वासं पुत्राणां मे परायणम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
viviṃśater durmukhasya citrasenavikarṇayoḥ ||
anyeṣāṃ ca sutānāṃ me na tathā śrūyate dhvaniḥ ||
brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyā yaṃ śiṣyāḥ paryupāsate ||
droṇaputraṃ maheṣvāsaṃ putrāṇāṃ me parāyaṇam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विविंशतेः दुर्मुखस्यviviṃśateḥ durmukhasyaof Vivimshati, Durmukha; of Vivimshati, Durmukha
चित्रसेनविकर्णयोःcitrasenavikarṇayoḥof Chitrasena and Vikarna; of Chitrasena and Vikarna
अन्येषाम् च सुतानाम् मेanyeṣām ca sutānām meand of my other sons; and of my other sons
न तथा श्रूयते ध्वनिःna tathā śrūyate dhvaniḥthe clamor is not so heard; the clamor is not so heard
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियाः वैश्याःbrāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyāḥ vaiśyāḥbrahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas; brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas
यम् शिष्याः पर्युपासतेyam śiṣyāḥ paryupāsatewhom pupils attend [revere]; whom pupils honor
द्रोणपुत्रम् महेष्वासम्droṇaputram maheṣvāsamthe son of Drona, the great archer; the son of Drona, the mighty bowman
पुत्राणाम् मे परायणम्putrāṇām me parāyaṇamthe refuge of my sons; the refuge of my sons
Translation
"Of Vivimshati, Durmukha, Chitrasena and Vikarna, and my other sons — the clamor is no longer heard as before. The son of Drona, the great archer, whom pupils — brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas — attend in reverence, the refuge of my sons…"
Version
02557ce07736 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The list of quieted courts of sons — Vivimshati, Durmukha, Chitrasena, Vikarna — turns into a list of the doomed: their merriment has fallen silent, for their hour draws near. And named too is 'putrāṇāṃ me parāyaṇam,' 'the refuge of my sons' — Ashvatthaman. It is telling that the king, counting the silence, seems to be mourning them while still alive. The verse teaches that a father's attachment to many sons, in the hour of reckoning, turns into many sorrows: where there was much joy, much loss is being prepared, and the silence over their courts is the herald of their fall.