Mahabharata · 7.69.23–24
॥
Devanāgarī
युधिष्ठिरश् च मे ग्राह्यो मिषतां सर्वधन्विनाम् ॥
एवं मया प्रतिज्ञातं क्षत्रमध्ये महाभुज ॥
धनंजयेन चोत्सृष्टो वर्तते प्रमुखे मम ॥
तस्माद् व्यूहमुखं हित्वा नाहं यास्यामि फल्गुनम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yudhiṣṭhiraś ca me grāhyo miṣatāṃ sarvadhanvinām ||
evaṃ mayā pratijñātaṃ kṣatramadhye mahābhuja ||
dhanaṃjayena cotsṛṣṭo vartate pramukhe mama ||
tasmād vyūhamukhaṃ hitvā nāhaṃ yāsyāmi phalgunam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
युधिष्ठिरः च मे ग्राह्यःyudhiṣṭhiraḥ ca me grāhyaḥand Yudhishthira must be seized by me; and I must capture Yudhishthira
मिषताम् सर्वधन्विनाम्miṣatām sarvadhanvināmbefore the eyes of all the archers; before the eyes of all the bowmen
एवम् मया प्रतिज्ञातम्evam mayā pratijñātamthus have I vowed; thus I have sworn
क्षत्रमध्ये महाभुजkṣatramadhye mahābhujaamid the kshatriyas, O mighty-armed one; among the kshatriyas, O mighty-armed one
धनंजयेन च उत्सृष्टःdhanaṃjayena ca utsṛṣṭaḥand, left behind by Dhananjaya; and, abandoned by Dhananjaya
वर्तते प्रमुखे ममvartate pramukhe mamahe stands before me; he stands before me
तस्मात् व्यूहमुखम् हित्वाtasmāt vyūhamukham hitvātherefore, having left the head of the array; therefore, having quit the front of the formation
न अहम् यास्यामि फल्गुनम्na aham yāsyāmi phalgunamI will not go after Phalguna; I shall not go after Phalguna
Translation
"And Yudhishthira must be seized by me before the eyes of all the archers — thus have I vowed amid the kshatriyas, O mighty-armed one. And, left behind by Dhananjaya, he stands before me. Therefore, having left the head of the array, I will not go after Phalguna."
Version
06bddb046625 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Drona is bound by his own vow: "yudhiṣṭhiraḥ me grāhyaḥ... pratijñātam", "I have vowed to capture Yudhishthira". Fidelity to his word keeps him at the front of the array, and so he cannot chase after Arjuna. It is telling that even the king's plea does not sway him to break his vow. The verse teaches that duty too can be twofold: loyalty to one vow can at times bind the hands in another; and a man of honor will sooner refuse a request than betray a given word — for a broken vow devalues all service.