Mahabharata · 7.65.3–4
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
तथार्जुनेन संभग्ने तस्मिंस् तव बले तदा ॥
हतवीरे हतोत्साहे पलायनकृतक्षणे ॥
पाकशासनिनाभीक्ष्णं वध्यमाने शरोत्तमैः ॥
न तत्र कश् चित् संग्रामे शशाकार्जुनम् ईक्षितुम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
tathārjunena saṃbhagne tasmiṃs tava bale tadā ||
hatavīre hatotsāhe palāyanakṛtakṣaṇe ||
pākaśāsaninābhīkṣṇaṃ vadhyamāne śarottamaiḥ ||
na tatra kaś cit saṃgrāme śaśākārjunam īkṣitum ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथा अर्जुनेन संभग्नेtathā arjunena saṃbhagnewhen thus by Arjuna was broken; when thus broken by Arjuna
तस्मिन् तव बले तदाtasmin tava bale tadāthat army of yours then; that army of yours then
हतवीरे हतोत्साहेhatavīre hatotsāhe[in which] the heroes were slain, the spirit was slain; the heroes struck down, the spirit broken
पलायनकृतक्षणेpalāyanakṛtakṣaṇe[at the moment] chosen for flight; at the hour [chosen] for flight
पाकशासनिना अभीक्ष्णम्pākaśāsaninā abhīkṣṇamby the son of Pakashasana [Arjuna] incessantly; by the son of Pakashasana incessantly
वध्यमाने शरोत्तमैःvadhyamāne śarottamaiḥbeing slaughtered with the finest arrows; being slaughtered with excellent arrows
न तत्र कः चित् संग्रामेna tatra kaḥ cit saṃgrāmeno one there in the battle; no one there in the fight
शशाक अर्जुनम् ईक्षितुम्śaśāka arjunam īkṣitumwas able to look upon Arjuna; was able to look at Arjuna
Translation
When your army was thus broken by Arjuna, its heroes slain, its spirit slain, at the hour chosen for flight, incessantly slaughtered by the son of Pakashasana with the finest arrows — no one there in the battle could even look upon Arjuna.
Version
dd0a612883e3 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
«Na… śaśākārjunam īkṣitum», 'could not even look upon Arjuna' — this marks the limit of ruin: not even a glance could be lifted toward the executor of retribution. «Hatavīre hatotsāhe», 'the heroes slain, the spirit broken' — the army is dead even before the battle ends. It is telling that fear took from them even the power to look. The verse teaches that an unrighteous cause first robs men of spirit: once the inner support is broken, an army perishes without even joining battle; and the inability to look upon the righteous is a sign that judgment upon wrongdoing is already being carried out within the hearts of the defeated.