Mahabharata · 7.67.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
विषक्तं दृश्य कौन्तेयं कृतवर्मरथं प्रति ॥
चिन्तयाम् आस वार्ष्णेयो न नः कालात्ययो भवेत् ॥
ततः कृष्णो ऽब्रवीत् पार्थं कृतवर्मणि मा दयाम् ॥
कुरुसांबन्धिकं कृत्वा प्रमथ्यैनं विशातय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
viṣaktaṃ dṛśya kaunteyaṃ kṛtavarmarathaṃ prati ||
cintayām āsa vārṣṇeyo na naḥ kālātyayo bhavet ||
tataḥ kṛṣṇo 'bravīt pārthaṃ kṛtavarmaṇi mā dayām ||
kurusāṃbandhikaṃ kṛtvā pramathyainaṃ viśātaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विषक्तम् दृश्य कौन्तेयम्viṣaktam dṛśya kaunteyamseeing Kaunteya entangled; seeing Kaunteya entangled
कृतवर्मरथम् प्रतिkṛtavarmaratham prati[at] Kritavarman's chariot; at Kritavarman's chariot
चिन्तयाम् आस वार्ष्णेयःcintayām āsa vārṣṇeyaḥVarshneya [Krishna] thought; Varshneya thought
न नः कालात्ययः भवेत्na naḥ kālātyayaḥ bhavetlet there be no loss of time for us; let us not lose time
ततः कृष्णः अब्रवीत् पार्थम्tataḥ kṛṣṇaḥ abravīt pārthamthen Krishna said to Partha; then Krishna spoke to Partha
कृतवर्मणि मा दयाम्kṛtavarmaṇi mā dayām[have no] pity toward Kritavarman; toward Kritavarman -- without pity
कुरुसांबन्धिकम् कृत्वाkurusāṃbandhikam kṛtvā[not] counting [him] as a Kuru kinsman; not counting him as Kuru kin
प्रमथ्य एनम् विशातयpramathya enam viśātayahaving crushed him, cast him down; crush him, cast him down
Translation
Seeing Kaunteya entangled at Kritavarman's chariot, Varshneya thought: "Let us not lose time." Then Krishna said to Partha: "Have no pity toward Kritavarman; not counting him as Kuru kin, crush him and cast him down."
Version
e0c978be824e · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna guards against two temptations: delay and misplaced softness. "Na naḥ kālātyayaḥ," "let us not lose time," and "kṛtavarmaṇi mā dayām," "no pity toward Kritavarman." Kinship ("kurusāṃbandhikam") must not stay the hand where the enemy stands for untruth. Telling is that the Lord discerns: compassion is not fitting at all times. The verse teaches that in the discharge of duty, sentimental softness can be harmful: toward one who knowingly stands for lawlessness, misplaced "daya" becomes betrayal of the cause. Wisdom discerns where there is mercy and where there is only delay that serves untruth.