Mahabharata · 7.66.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
तैः सम्यग् अस्तैर् बलिना कृतिना चित्रयोधिना ॥
मनुष्यवाजिमातङ्गा विद्धाः पेतुर् गतासवः ॥
विद्रुताश् च रणे पेतुः संछिन्नायुधजीविताः ॥
रथिनो रथमुख्येभ्यः सहयाः शरपीडिताः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
taiḥ samyag astair balinā kṛtinā citrayodhinā ||
manuṣyavājimātaṅgā viddhāḥ petur gatāsavaḥ ||
vidrutāś ca raṇe petuḥ saṃchinnāyudhajīvitāḥ ||
rathino rathamukhyebhyaḥ sahayāḥ śarapīḍitāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तैः सम्यक् अस्तैः बलिनाtaiḥ samyak astaiḥ balināby those, well shot, by the mighty; by those, accurately shot, by the mighty
कृतिना चित्रयोधिनाkṛtinā citrayodhināthe skillful, fighting in varied ways; the skillful, fighting in varied styles
मनुष्यवाजिमातङ्गाःmanuṣyavājimātaṅgāḥmen, horses, and elephants; men, horses, and elephants
विद्धाः पेतुः गतासवःviddhāḥ petuḥ gatāsavaḥpierced, fell lifeless; pierced, fell lifeless
विद्रुताः च रणे पेतुःvidrutāḥ ca raṇe petuḥand in confusion fell in battle; and in confusion fell in battle
संछिन्नायुधजीविताःsaṃchinnāyudhajīvitāḥtheir weapons and lives cut short; their weapons and lives taken
रथिनः रथमुख्येभ्यःrathinaḥ rathamukhyebhyaḥchariot-warriors from the finest chariots; charioteers from the finest chariots
सहयाः शरपीडिताःsahayāḥ śarapīḍitāḥtogether with their horses, worn down by arrows; with their horses, worn down by arrows
Translation
By those well-shot [arrows] — by the mighty, skillful one, fighting in varied ways — men, horses, and elephants, pierced, fell lifeless. And in confusion the chariot-warriors from the finest chariots fell in battle, their weapons and lives cut short, together with their horses, worn down by arrows.
Version
ada542cfcde4 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The poet emphasizes not fury but skill: 'samyak astaiḥ… kṛtinā citrayodhinā,' accurately shot, by the skillful one, fighting in varied ways. Destruction here is the fruit of training, not blind force. It is telling that Arjuna's might is shown as skill, not frenzy. The verse teaches that even in destruction the difference between mastery and rage shows through: the righteous warrior acts precisely and deliberately even in the thick of slaughter; and strength guided by skill and duty is fearsome not through savagery but through the unerring precision of every blow.