Mahabharata · 7.71.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
कुन्तिभोजं ततो रक्षो विद्ध्वा बहुभिर् आयसैः ॥
अनदद् भैरवं नादं वाहिन्याः प्रमुखे तव ॥
ततस् तौ समरे शूरौ योधयन्तौ परस्परम् ॥
ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि शक्रजम्भौ यथा पुरा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kuntibhojaṃ tato rakṣo viddhvā bahubhir āyasaiḥ ||
anadad bhairavaṃ nādaṃ vāhinyāḥ pramukhe tava ||
tatas tau samare śūrau yodhayantau parasparam ||
dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni śakrajambhau yathā purā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कुन्तिभोजम् ततः रक्षःkuntibhojam tataḥ rakṣaḥKuntibhoja, then, the rakshasa; Kuntibhoja, then, the rakshasa
विद्ध्वा बहुभिः आयसैःviddhvā bahubhiḥ āyasaiḥhaving pierced with many iron [arrows]; having pierced with many iron [arrows]
अनदत् भैरवम् नादम्anadat bhairavam nādamlet out a fearsome roar; let out a fearsome roar
वाहिन्याः प्रमुखे तवvāhinyāḥ pramukhe tavabefore the vanguard of your army; before the vanguard of your army
ततः तौ समरे शूरौtataḥ tau samare śūrauthen those two in battle, heroes; then those two, heroes
योधयन्तौ परस्परम्yodhayantau parasparamfighting each other; fighting each other
ददृशुः सर्वभूतानिdadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāniall beings saw; all beings saw
शक्रजम्भौ यथा पुराśakrajambhau yathā purāas [they saw] Shakra and Jambha of old; like Shakra and Jambha of old
Translation
Kuntibhoja was then pierced by the rakshasa with many iron [arrows], who let out a fearsome roar before the vanguard of your army. Then all beings saw those two heroes fighting each other in battle, as they once saw Shakra and Jambha of old.
Version
a7f871ebae41 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The duel of man and rakshasa is raised to the level of myth: 'śakrajambhau yathā purā,' like Indra and the asura Jambha. The battle takes on the cosmic scale of a clash between deva and asura. It is telling that an earthly quarrel becomes once more an image of the eternal struggle of light and darkness. The verse teaches that human clashes on the field of dharma are reflections of the eternal war of gods and demons: behind the faces of the combatants the principles of good and evil show through; and every righteous battle is a continuation of that ancient confrontation, in which Indra overcomes Jambha.