Mahabharata · 7.71.9–10
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् युद्धम् अभवद् घोरं शरशक्तिसमाकुलम् ॥
भीरूणां त्रासजननं शूराणां हर्षवर्धनम् ॥
ताभ्यां तत्र शरैर् मुक्तैर् अन्तरिक्षं दिशस् तथा ॥
अभवत् संवृतं सर्वं न प्राज्ञायत किं चन ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tad yuddham abhavad ghoraṃ śaraśaktisamākulam ||
bhīrūṇāṃ trāsajananaṃ śūrāṇāṃ harṣavardhanam ||
tābhyāṃ tatra śarair muktair antarikṣaṃ diśas tathā ||
abhavat saṃvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ na prājñāyata kiṃ cana ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् युद्धम् अभवत् घोरम्tat yuddham abhavat ghoramthat battle was terrible; that battle was terrible
शरशक्तिसमाकुलम्śaraśaktisamākulamfull of arrows and shaktis; full of arrows and lances
भीरूणाम् त्रासजननम्bhīrūṇām trāsajananamgiving birth to terror in the faint-hearted; striking dread into the faint-hearted
शूराणाम् हर्षवर्धनम्śūrāṇām harṣavardhanamincreasing the joy of the brave; increasing the joy of the brave
ताभ्याम् तत्र शरैः मुक्तैःtābhyām tatra śaraiḥ muktaiḥby those two's arrows loosed there; by the arrows loosed there by those two
अन्तरिक्षम् दिशः तथाantarikṣam diśaḥ tathāthe sky and the quarters of the world; the sky and the quarters of the world
अभवत् संवृतम् सर्वम्abhavat saṃvṛtam sarvamall became covered; all became covered
न प्राज्ञायत किं चनna prājñāyata kiṃ cananothing could be made out; nothing could be made out
Translation
That battle was terrible, full of arrows and shaktis, striking dread into the faint-hearted, increasing the joy of the brave. By the arrows loosed there by those two, the sky and the quarters of the world all became covered; nothing could be made out.
Version
b4f5b14994f4 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
'Bhīrūṇāṃ trāsajananam, śūrāṇāṃ harṣavardhanam' — 'terror for the faint-hearted, joy for the brave': one and the same sight gives birth to opposite responses according to inner disposition. It is telling that it is not the battle that changes, but the hearts of those who behold it. The verse teaches that the outer scene is the same, but it is experienced according to the state of the soul: where the faint-hearted freezes, the brave is roused; and so fear or courage are born not from circumstance but from inner constitution — the world is one, but it answers in each according to the measure of his spirit.