Mahabharata · 7.61.35–36
॥
Devanāgarī
कं वा त्वं मन्यसे तेषां यस् त्वा ब्रूयाद् अतो ऽन्यथा ॥
कृष्णो न धर्मं संजह्यात् सर्वे ते च त्वदन्वयाः ॥
मयापि चोक्तास् ते वीरा वचनं धर्मसंहितम् ॥
नान्यथा प्रकरिष्यन्ति धर्मात्मानो हि पाण्डवाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kaṃ vā tvaṃ manyase teṣāṃ yas tvā brūyād ato 'nyathā ||
kṛṣṇo na dharmaṃ saṃjahyāt sarve te ca tvadanvayāḥ ||
mayāpi coktās te vīrā vacanaṃ dharmasaṃhitam ||
nānyathā prakariṣyanti dharmātmāno hi pāṇḍavāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कम् वा त्वम् मन्यसे तेषाम्kam vā tvam manyase teṣāmwhich of them do you think; whom of them do you deem
यः त्वा ब्रूयात् अतः अन्यथाyaḥ tvā brūyāt ataḥ anyathā[the one] who would tell you otherwise [than this]; who would tell you otherwise
कृष्णः न धर्मम् संजह्यात्kṛṣṇaḥ na dharmam saṃjahyātKrishna would not forsake dharma; Krishna would not forsake dharma
सर्वे ते च त्वदन्वयाःsarve te ca tvadanvayāḥand all of them are your followers [kin]; and all of them are of your line
मया अपि च उक्ताः तेmayā api ca uktāḥ teand by me too it was said to them; and by me too it was spoken to them
वीराः वचनम् धर्मसंहितम्vīrāḥ vacanam dharmasaṃhitamto the heroes — a word in accord with dharma; to the champions — a word in accord with dharma
न अन्यथा प्रकरिष्यन्तिna anyathā prakariṣyantithey will not act otherwise; they will not act otherwise
धर्मात्मानः हि पाण्डवाःdharmātmānaḥ hi pāṇḍavāḥfor righteous of soul are the Pandavas; for righteous of soul are the Pandavas
Translation
"Whom among them do you think would tell you otherwise? Krishna would not forsake dharma, and all of them are of your line. And I too spoke to those heroes a word in accord with dharma; they will not act otherwise, for the Pandavas are righteous of soul."
Version
5c4167d7cd7d · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
"Kṛṣṇaḥ na dharmaṃ saṃjahyāt", "Krishna would not forsake dharma" — Dhritarashtra bears witness to the Lord as the very center of righteousness: where Krishna is, there can be no departure from dharma. And the Pandavas, "dharmātmānaḥ", righteous of soul, are therefore reliable in their word. It is telling that the blind king clearly sees the rightness of the other side. The verse teaches that the Lord never abandons dharma, and those who hold to Him are firm in it; to discern this truth and yet not join it — that is the tragedy of one who knows good stands on one side, but has bound himself to the other.