Mahabharata · 7.63.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः शतसहस्राणि योधानाम् अनिवर्तिनाम् ॥
व्यवस्थितानि सर्वाणि शकटे सूचिरक्षिणः ॥
तेषां च पृष्ठतो राज बलेन महता वृतः ॥
जयद्रथस् ततो राजन् सूचिपाशे व्यवस्थितः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi yodhānām anivartinām ||
vyavasthitāni sarvāṇi śakaṭe sūcirakṣiṇaḥ ||
teṣāṃ ca pṛṣṭhato rāja balena mahatā vṛtaḥ ||
jayadrathas tato rājan sūcipāśe vyavasthitaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः शतसहस्राणिtataḥ śatasahasrāṇithen hundreds of thousands; then hundreds of thousands
योधानाम् अनिवर्तिनाम्yodhānām anivartināmof unyielding warriors; of unrelenting warriors
व्यवस्थितानि सर्वाणिvyavasthitāni sarvāṇiall took their stand; all stood arrayed
शकटे सूचिरक्षिणःśakaṭe sūcirakṣiṇaḥin the cart -- guardians of the needle; in the cart -- guardians of the needle
तेषाम् च पृष्ठतः राजteṣām ca pṛṣṭhataḥ rājaand behind them, O king; and behind them, O sovereign
बलेन महता वृतःbalena mahatā vṛtaḥsurrounded by a great army; surrounded by a mighty host
जयद्रथः ततः राजन्jayadrathaḥ tataḥ rājanJayadratha then, O king; Jayadratha then, O sovereign
सूचिपाशे व्यवस्थितःsūcipāśe vyavasthitaḥtook his stand in the knot of the needle; took his stand in the loop of the needle
Translation
Then hundreds of thousands of unyielding warriors, guardians of the needle, all took their stand in the cart. And behind them, O king, surrounded by a mighty host, Jayadratha then, O king, took his stand in the knot of the needle.
Version
6b9835049c84 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
In the very depths -- "sūcipāśe vyavasthitaḥ," "stationed in the knot of the needle" -- stands Jayadratha, behind hundreds of thousands of guards. Whoever's guilt is heaviest is hidden deepest of all. It is telling that his place is not at the edge of valor but in the most hidden knot of fear. The verse teaches that the burial of the guilty at the very heart of the defense is an image of his inner state: farthest of all from the fighting hides the one nearest of all to reckoning; and the depth of his shelter only measures the depth of his guilt and fear.