Mahabharata · 7.70.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
शैब्यो गोवासनो राजा योधैर् दशशतावरैः ॥
काश्यस्याभिभुवः पुत्रं पराक्रान्तम् अवारयत् ॥
अजातशत्रुं कौन्तेयं ज्वलन्तम् इव पावकम् ॥
मद्राणाम् ईश्वरः शल्यो राजा राजानम् आवृणोत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śaibyo govāsano rājā yodhair daśaśatāvaraiḥ ||
kāśyasyābhibhuvaḥ putraṃ parākrāntam avārayat ||
ajātaśatruṃ kaunteyaṃ jvalantam iva pāvakam ||
madrāṇām īśvaraḥ śalyo rājā rājānam āvṛṇot ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शैब्यः गोवासनः राजाśaibyaḥ govāsanaḥ rājāKing Shaibya Govasana; King Shaibya Govasana
योधैः दशशतावरैःyodhaiḥ daśaśatāvaraiḥwith warriors no fewer than a thousand; with warriors no fewer than a thousand
काश्यस्य अभिभुवः पुत्रम्kāśyasya abhibhuvaḥ putramheld back the son of Abhibhu, lord of Kashi; held back the son of Abhibhu, lord of Kashi
पराक्रान्तम् अवारयत्parākrāntam avārayatthe valiant one; the valiant one
अजातशत्रुम् कौन्तेयम्ajātaśatrum kaunteyamAjatashatru, son of Kunti; Ajatashatru, son of Kunti
ज्वलन्तम् इव पावकम्jvalantam iva pāvakamblazing like fire; blazing like fire
मद्राणाम् ईश्वरः शल्यःmadrāṇām īśvaraḥ śalyaḥShalya, lord of the Madras; Shalya, lord of the Madras
राजा राजानम् आवृणोत्rājā rājānam āvṛṇota king held back a king; a king held back a king
Translation
King Shaibya Govasana, with warriors no fewer than a thousand, held back the valiant son of Abhibhu, lord of Kashi. Ajatashatru, son of Kunti (Yudhishthira), blazing like fire — Shalya, lord of the Madras, a king, held back that king.
Version
b7015a7064be · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
"Raja rajanam avrinot" — a king held back a king: the single combats are matched by rank, equal against equal. Shalya, kinsman of the Pandavas, is set against Yudhishthira. It is telling that here too kinship falls on opposing sides. The verse teaches that war tears apart the bonds of blood: an uncle stands against a nephew, a king against a king; fratricidal strife spares neither kinship nor rank — it sets the near and dear against one another, turning familial love into combat on the field.