Mahabharata · 7.63.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
विकोशान् सुत्सरून् अन्ये कृतधारान् समाहितान् ॥
पीतान् आकाशसंकाशान् असीन् के चिच् च चिक्षिपुः ॥
चरन्तस् त्व् असिमार्गांश् च धनुर्मार्गांश् च शिक्षया ॥
संग्राममनसः शूरा दृश्यन्ते स्म सहस्रशः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vikośān sutsarūn anye kṛtadhārān samāhitān ||
pītān ākāśasaṃkāśān asīn ke cic ca cikṣipuḥ ||
carantas tv asimārgāṃś ca dhanurmārgāṃś ca śikṣayā ||
saṃgrāmamanasaḥ śūrā dṛśyante sma sahasraśaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विकोशान् सुत्सरून् अन्येvikośān sutsarūn anyeothers -- unsheathed, with good hilts; others -- bared, well-hilted
कृतधारान् समाहितान्kṛtadhārān samāhitānwith edges honed, composed; sharpened, at the ready
पीतान् आकाशसंकाशान्pītān ākāśasaṃkāśānyellow[-gleaming], like the sky; golden, like the sky
असीन् के चित् च चिक्षिपुःasīn ke cit ca cikṣipuḥsome brandished [aloft] swords; some others brandished swords
चरन्तः तु असिमार्गान् चcarantaḥ tu asimārgān capassing through [the moves] of sword-fighting; going through sword techniques
धनुर्मार्गान् च शिक्षयाdhanurmārgān ca śikṣayāand [the moves] of bow-fighting -- in practice; and bow techniques -- in drilling
संग्राममनसः शूराःsaṃgrāmamanasaḥ śūrāḥheroes, [whose] thoughts were on battle; warriors, whose minds were on the fight
दृश्यन्ते स्म सहस्रशःdṛśyante sma sahasraśaḥwere seen by the thousands; were seen by the thousands
Translation
Some brandished bared swords -- well-hilted, with edges honed, composed, gleaming yellow like the sky. And heroes whose thoughts were on battle, drilling in the moves of sword and bow, were seen by the thousands.
Version
c01a71bbde1c · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A picture of martial diligence: thousands of fighters, "carantaḥ asimārgān... dhanurmārgān ca śikṣayā," run through the moves of sword and bow, preparing. It is telling that "saṃgrāmamanasaḥ," "with minds on battle," shows their minds already in the fray before it begins. The verse displays the warriors' composure before the fearsome day; and in this diligence lies a lesson -- that any undertaking deserves preparation well in advance, honing skill, for victory is forged not in the hour of the clash but in the long application that precedes it.