Mahabharata · 7.67.49–50
॥
Devanāgarī
इत्य् उक्त्वा वरुणः प्रादाद् गदां मन्त्रपुरस्कृताम् ॥
याम् आसाद्य दुराधर्षः सर्वलोके श्रुतायुधः ॥
उवाच चैनं भगवान् पुनर् एव जलेश्वरः ॥
अयुध्यति न मोक्तव्या सा त्वय्य् एव पतेद् इति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ity uktvā varuṇaḥ prādād gadāṃ mantrapuraskṛtām ||
yām āsādya durādharṣaḥ sarvaloke śrutāyudhaḥ ||
uvāca cainaṃ bhagavān punar eva jaleśvaraḥ ||
ayudhyati na moktavyā sā tvayy eva pated iti ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
इति उक्त्वा वरुणः प्रादात्iti uktvā varuṇaḥ prādāthaving said this, Varuna gave; having spoken thus, Varuna gave
गदाम् मन्त्रपुरस्कृताम्gadām mantrapuraskṛtāma mace, hallowed with a mantra; a mace, consecrated with a mantra
याम् आसाद्य दुराधर्षःyām āsādya durādharṣaḥhaving obtained which, unassailable; having obtained which, unassailable
सर्वलोके श्रुतायुधःsarvaloke śrutāyudhaḥin all the world, Shrutayudha; in all the world, Shrutayudha
उवाच च एनम् भगवान्uvāca ca enam bhagavānand the lord spoke to him again; and the lord spoke to him again
पुनः एव जलेश्वरःpunaḥ eva jaleśvaraḥonce more, the lord of waters; once more, the lord of waters
अयुध्यति न मोक्तव्याayudhyati na moktavyā"it must not be cast at one not fighting"; "it must not be hurled at one not fighting"
सा त्वयि एव पतेत् इतिsā tvayi eva patet iti"it shall fall upon you yourself", [he said]; "it shall fall upon you yourself"
Translation
Having said this, Varuna gave him a mace hallowed with a mantra, by obtaining which Shrutayudha became unassailable in all the world. And the lord of waters spoke to him once more: "It must not be cast at one who is not fighting -- else it shall fall upon you yourself."
Version
a58d002698fc · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The gift comes bound to a sacred condition: "ayudhyati na moktavyā... tvayi eva patet", "it must not be hurled at one not fighting, else it shall fall upon you yourself." The power is not given for caprice but under a pledge of justice: not to strike the unarmed, the peaceable, the one not fighting. It is telling that breaking this condition turns the weapon back upon its bearer. The verse teaches that every granted power comes with a law of its use: it protects only the one who keeps justice; and whoever turns strength against the innocent or the unresisting condemns himself, for power wrongly wielded returns upon the head of the one who broke the trust.