Mahabharata · 7.68.53–54
॥
Devanāgarī
भूरिद्रुमलतागुल्मं शुष्केन्धनतृणोलपम् ॥
निर्दहेद् अनलो ऽरण्यं यथा वायुसमीरितः ॥
सैन्यारण्यं तव तथा कृष्णानिलसमीरितः ॥
शरार्चिर् अदहत् क्रुद्धः पाण्डवाग्निर् धनंजयः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhūridrumalatāgulmaṃ śuṣkendhanatṛṇolapam ||
nirdahed analo 'raṇyaṃ yathā vāyusamīritaḥ ||
sainyāraṇyaṃ tava tathā kṛṣṇānilasamīritaḥ ||
śarārcir adahat kruddhaḥ pāṇḍavāgnir dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भूरिद्रुमलतागुल्मम्bhūridrumalatāgulmam[a forest] with abundant trees, vines, bushes; a forest of abundant trees, vines, bushes
शुष्केन्धनतृणोलपम्śuṣkendhanatṛṇolapamwith dry fuel, grass and brushwood; with dry deadwood, grass
निर्दहेत् अनलः अरण्यम्nirdahet analaḥ araṇyamfire would burn down the forest; fire would burn down the forest
यथा वायुसमीरितःyathā vāyusamīritaḥas if fanned by the wind; as if fanned by the wind
सैन्यारण्यम् तव तथाsainyāraṇyam tava tathāyour army-forest thus; your army-forest thus
कृष्णानिलसमीरितःkṛṣṇānilasamīritaḥfanned by the wind-Krishna; fanned by the wind-Krishna
शरार्चिः अदहत् क्रुद्धःśarārciḥ adahat kruddhaḥburned with [the flame of] arrows, enraged; burned with the flame of arrows, enraged
पाण्डवाग्निः धनंजयःpāṇḍavāgniḥ dhanaṃjayaḥthe fire-Pandava Dhananjaya; the fire-Pandava Dhananjaya
Translation
As fire, fanned by the wind, would burn down a forest with abundant trees, vines, bushes, with dry fuel, grass and brushwood — so your army-forest, fanned by the wind-Krishna, the fire-Pandava Dhananjaya, enraged, burned with the flame of arrows.
Version
44a6de37e435 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
An elaborate metaphor: 'pāṇḍavāgniḥ' — fire-Arjuna, 'kṛṣṇānila' — wind-Krishna, 'sainyāraṇyam' — army-forest. Fire without wind weakens; so too Arjuna is made strong by the wind-Krishna that fans his flame. It is telling that the warrior's might is shown as derived from the Lord-wind. The verse teaches that the devotee's strength is fanned by God: as flame grows strong from wind, so Arjuna's valor grows from Krishna's nearness; and without the 'wind'-Lord the fire-warrior would go out — all his consuming power is a gift of God's companionship, without which it is nothing.