Linux
Turn pages
Mahabharata · 7.63.24–25
॥
Санджая
Devanāgarī
एवम् एतं महाव्यूहं व्यूह्य द्रोणो व्यवस्थितः ॥
सूचीमुखे महेष्वासः कृतवर्मा व्यवस्थितः ॥
अनन्तरं च काम्बोजो जलसंधश् च मारिष ॥
दुर्योधनः सहामात्यस् तदनन्तरम् एव च ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evam etaṃ mahāvyūhaṃ vyūhya droṇo vyavasthitaḥ ||
sūcīmukhe maheṣvāsaḥ kṛtavarmā vyavasthitaḥ ||
anantaraṃ ca kāmbojo jalasaṃdhaś ca māriṣa ||
duryodhanaḥ sahāmātyas tadanantaram eva ca ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् एतम् महाव्यूहम्evam etam mahāvyūhamthus this great formation; thus this great array
व्यूह्य द्रोणः व्यवस्थितःvyūhya droṇaḥ vyavasthitaḥhaving arrayed, Drona took his stand; having arrayed it, Drona took his stand
सूचीमुखे महेष्वासःsūcīmukhe maheṣvāsaḥat the point of the needle -- the great archer; at the needle's point -- the mighty bowman
कृतवर्मा व्यवस्थितःkṛtavarmā vyavasthitaḥKritavarman took his stand; Kritavarman took his stand
अनन्तरम् च काम्बोजःanantaram ca kāmbojaḥand next -- the Kamboja [Sudakshina]; and next -- the Kamboja
जलसंधः च मारिषjalasaṃdhaḥ ca māriṣaand Jalasandha, O venerable one; and Jalasandha, O venerable one
दुर्योधनः सहामात्यःduryodhanaḥ sahāmātyaḥDuryodhana with his counselors; Duryodhana with his counselors
तदनन्तरम् एव चtadanantaram eva caimmediately after; right after that
Translation
Thus, having arrayed this great formation, Drona took his stand. At the point of the needle stood the great archer Kritavarman; and next -- the Kamboja [Sudakshina] and Jalasandha, O venerable one; and immediately after -- Duryodhana with his counselors.
Version
619bb7981aae · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The roster of guards at "sūcīmukhe," the needle's point -- Kritavarman, Sudakshina, Jalasandha, Duryodhana -- piles shield upon shield before the single entrance to the one being sheltered. It is telling that Duryodhana himself, with his retinue, stands in defense of the guilty man: the king personally guards the wrongdoing. The verse teaches that an unrighteous cause draws in even its leaders: to protect one evildoer, the ruler himself becomes his shield; and thus one man's sin becomes the shared affair of many, sealing a mutual complicity that leads them all toward a single reckoning.