Mahabharata · 7.68.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
एतस्मिन्न् एव काले तु सो ऽच्युतायुर् महारथः ॥
शूलेन भृशतीक्ष्णेन ताडयाम् आस पाण्डवम् ॥
क्षते क्षारं स हि ददौ पाण्डवस्य महात्मनः ॥
पार्थो ऽपि भृशसंविद्धो ध्वजयष्टिं समाश्रितः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
etasminn eva kāle tu so 'cyutāyur mahārathaḥ ||
śūlena bhṛśatīkṣṇena tāḍayām āsa pāṇḍavam ||
kṣate kṣāraṃ sa hi dadau pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ ||
pārtho 'pi bhṛśasaṃviddho dhvajayaṣṭiṃ samāśritaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतस्मिन् एव काले तुetasmin eva kāle tuat this very same time; at this very same time
सः अच्युतायुः महारथःsaḥ acyutāyuḥ mahārathaḥthat Achyutayus, the great warrior; that Achyutayus-maharatha
शूलेन भृशतीक्ष्णेनśūlena bhṛśatīkṣṇenawith an exceedingly sharp shula-lance; with a most sharp shula-lance
ताडयाम् आस पाण्डवम्tāḍayām āsa pāṇḍavamstruck the Pandava; struck the Pandava
क्षते क्षारम् सः हि ददौkṣate kṣāram saḥ hi dadauhe indeed gave salt to the wound; he as it were poured salt on the wound
पाण्डवस्य महात्मनःpāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥto the Pandava, great of soul; to the mighty Pandava
पार्थः अपि भृशसंविद्धःpārthaḥ api bhṛśasaṃviddhaḥPartha too, deeply pierced; Partha too, deeply pierced
ध्वजयष्टिम् समाश्रितःdhvajayaṣṭim samāśritaḥleaned upon the shaft of the standard; leaned upon the standard's shaft
Translation
At this very same time that Achyutayus, the great warrior, struck the Pandava with an exceedingly sharp shula-lance. He, as it were, poured salt upon the wound of the great-souled Pandava. Partha, deeply pierced, leaned upon the shaft of the standard.
Version
f10eebe96040 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The image "kṣate kṣāraṃ dadau," "salt on the wound," is ancient and exact: a second blow upon one already wounded. And Arjuna "dhvajayaṣṭiṃ samāśritaḥ," leans upon the shaft of the standard -- on that standard is Hanuman, the emblem of devotion. Telling is it that even in his unconsciousness his support is the banner bearing Hanuman. The verse teaches that in the hour of weakness the support that holds is the sign of devotion to the Lord: the faltering righteous man clings to the sacred emblem; and even unknowingly he leans toward what is hallowed by bhakti -- and it does not let him fall.