Mahabharata · 7.61.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
वितण्डालापसंलापैर् हुतयाचितवन्दितैः ॥
गीतैश् च विविधैर् इष्टै रमते यो दिवानिशम् ॥
उपास्यमानो बहुभिः कुरुपाण्डवसात्वतैः ॥
सूत तस्य गृहे शब्धो नाद्य द्रौणेर् यथा पुरा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vitaṇḍālāpasaṃlāpair hutayācitavanditaiḥ ||
gītaiś ca vividhair iṣṭai ramate yo divāniśam ||
upāsyamāno bahubhiḥ kurupāṇḍavasātvataiḥ ||
sūta tasya gṛhe śabdho nādya drauṇer yathā purā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
वितण्डालापसंलापैःvitaṇḍālāpasaṃlāpaiḥwith disputes, conversations, discourses; with disputations, conversations, speeches
हुतयाचितवन्दितैःhutayācitavanditaiḥwith libations, entreaties, hymns of praise; with libations, entreaties, hymns of praise
गीतैः च विविधैः इष्टैःgītaiḥ ca vividhaiḥ iṣṭaiḥand with manifold cherished songs; and with all manner of cherished songs
रमते यः दिवानिशम्ramate yaḥ divāniśam[who] delights day and night; who takes delight day and night
उपास्यमानः बहुभिःupāsyamānaḥ bahubhiḥhonored by many; honored by many
कुरुपाण्डवसात्वतैःkurupāṇḍavasātvataiḥby Kauravas, Pandavas, Satvatas; by Kauravas, Pandavas, Satvatas
सूत तस्य गृहे शब्दःsūta tasya gṛhe śabdaḥO charioteer, in his house the sound; O charioteer, in his house the din
न अद्य द्रौणेः यथा पुराna adya drauṇeḥ yathā purānow not as before, of Drauni; now not as it was of old, of Drauni
Translation
"…[who] delights day and night in disputations, conversations, discourses, libations, entreaties, hymns of praise, and manifold cherished songs; honored by many — Kauravas, Pandavas, Satvatas — O charioteer, in his house, [the son] of Drona's, the sound is now not as it was before."
Version
705b80425a35 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Ashvatthaman is shown as the center of learning and revelry — 'vitaṇḍālāpa… hutayācita… gītaiḥ,' disputations, rites, songs, honored by every side. All the more bitter, then, that the sound now falls silent: 'śabdaḥ na adya… yathā purā,' the sound, not as before. It is telling that even the brilliance of a learned household does not ward off disaster: where dharma has been trampled, even wisdom falls mute. The verse teaches that neither knowledge nor honor shields one from the fruits of wrongdoing: a house that shone with learning and praise also droops when its lineage has taken the path of unrighteousness; outward splendor does not substitute for truth.