Mahabharata · 7.67.47–48
॥
Devanāgarī
नास्ति चाप्य् अमरत्वं वै मनुष्यस्य कथं चन ॥
सर्वेणावश्यमर्तव्यं जातेन सरितां वरे ॥
दुर्धर्षस् त्व् एष शत्रूणां रणेषु भविता सदा ॥
अस्त्रस्यास्य प्रभावाद् वै व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nāsti cāpy amaratvaṃ vai manuṣyasya kathaṃ cana ||
sarveṇāvaśyamartavyaṃ jātena saritāṃ vare ||
durdharṣas tv eṣa śatrūṇāṃ raṇeṣu bhavitā sadā ||
astrasyāsya prabhāvād vai vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न अस्ति च अपि अमरत्वम्na asti ca api amaratvam"and there is no immortality"; "and there is no immortality"
मनुष्यस्य कथम् चनmanuṣyasya katham cana"for man in any way"; "for man in any way"
सर्वेण अवश्यमर्तव्यम्sarveṇa avaśyamartavyam"all, once born, must inevitably die"; "all, once born, must inevitably die"
जातेन सरिताम् वरेjātena saritām vare"O best of rivers"; "O best of rivers"
दुर्धर्षः तु एषः शत्रूणाम्durdharṣaḥ tu eṣaḥ śatrūṇām"but he shall be unassailable by foes"; "but he shall be unassailable by foes"
रणेषु भविता सदाraṇeṣu bhavitā sadā"in battles, always"; "in battles, always"
अस्त्रस्य अस्य प्रभावात् वैastrasya asya prabhāvāt vai"by the power of this weapon"; "by the power of this weapon"
व्येतु ते मानसः ज्वरःvyetu te mānasaḥ jvaraḥ"let your mind's fever depart [your anxiety]"; "let your anxiety depart"
Translation
[Varuna:] "And there is no immortality for man in any way; all, once born, must inevitably die, O best of rivers. But by the power of this weapon he shall always be unassailable by foes in battle -- let your fevered mind be at ease."
Version
97892ab37faf · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Varuna himself proclaims the law: "na asti amaratvam... sarveṇa avaśyamartavyaṃ jātena", "there is no immortality; all, once born, must inevitably die." Even a god cannot annul mortality -- it is written into the very order of birth. It is telling that even a divine gift does not overstep this law: only invulnerability to enemies is given, not to death. The verse teaches the inescapability of the mortal lot: neither a mother's love nor a god's grace can annul the death of one who is born; and wisdom lies not in seeking an unattainable immortality, but in accepting that all that is born will die, and in remaining faithful to dharma for the span allotted.