Mahabharata · 7.66.3–4
॥
Devanāgarī
शिवेन ध्याहि मां ब्रह्मन् स्वस्ति चैव वदस्व मे ॥
भवत्प्रसादाद् इच्छामि प्रवेष्टुं दुर्भिदां चमूम् ॥
भवान् पितृसमो मह्यं धर्मराजसमो ऽपि च ॥
तथा कृष्णसमश् चैव सत्यम् एतद् ब्रवीमि ते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śivena dhyāhi māṃ brahman svasti caiva vadasva me ||
bhavatprasādād icchāmi praveṣṭuṃ durbhidāṃ camūm ||
bhavān pitṛsamo mahyaṃ dharmarājasamo 'pi ca ||
tathā kṛṣṇasamaś caiva satyam etad bravīmi te ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शिवेन ध्याहि माम् ब्रह्मन्śivena dhyāhi mām brahmanthink of me kindly, o brahmin; think of me kindly, o brahmin
स्वस्ति च एव वदस्व मेsvasti ca eva vadasva meand speak 'svasti' [blessing] to me; and say 'blessing be to you' to me
भवत्प्रसादात् इच्छामिbhavatprasādāt icchāmiby your grace I wish; by your grace I wish
प्रवेष्टुम् दुर्भिदाम् चमूम्praveṣṭum durbhidām camūmto enter the hard-to-pierce army; to enter the impenetrable host
भवान् पितृसमः मह्यम्bhavān pitṛsamaḥ mahyamyou are like a father to me; you are to me like a father
धर्मराजसमः अपि चdharmarājasamaḥ api caand are also like the King of Dharma; and like the King of Dharma
तथा कृष्णसमः च एवtathā kṛṣṇasamaḥ ca evaand also like Krishna; and also like Krishna
सत्यम् एतत् ब्रवीमि तेsatyam etat bravīmi teI speak this truth to you; I speak this truth to you
Translation
'Think of me kindly, o brahmin, and speak "svasti" [blessing] to me. By your grace I wish to enter the hard-to-pierce army. You are like a father to me, and like the King of Dharma, and also like Krishna — this truth I speak to you.'
Version
f1b1d4e86ce5 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The highest measure of reverence: 'bhavān pitṛsamaḥ… dharmarājasamaḥ… kṛṣṇasamaḥ,' 'you are to me like a father, like the King of Dharma, like Krishna.' Before the one he is about to fight, Arjuna sets his teacher level with what is dearest to him — with father, righteousness, and God. It is telling that he asks for the blessing 'śivena dhyāhi… svasti' even from one who stands on the enemy's side. The verse teaches that the guru's place in the heart is unshakable: enmity on the battlefield does not cancel filial feeling for the teacher; and to ask his blessing, honoring him as father and as Lord, is not hypocrisy but fidelity to the eternal dharma of reverence.