Mahabharata · 7.72.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं त्वरतां सर्वधन्विनाम् ॥
कुरूणां सोमकानां च संक्रुद्धानां परस्परम् ॥
संक्षये तु तथा भूते वर्तमाने महाभये ॥
द्वंद्वीभूतेषु सैन्येषु युध्यमानेष्व् अभीतवत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tvaratāṃ sarvadhanvinām ||
kurūṇāṃ somakānāṃ ca saṃkruddhānāṃ parasparam ||
saṃkṣaye tu tathā bhūte vartamāne mahābhaye ||
dvaṃdvībhūteṣu sainyeṣu yudhyamāneṣv abhītavat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः प्रववृते युद्धम्tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhamthen the battle began; then the battle began
त्वरताम् सर्वधन्विनाम्tvaratām sarvadhanvināmof all the hastening archers; of all the hastening archers
कुरूणाम् सोमकानाम् चkurūṇām somakānām caof the Kurus and Somakas; of the Kurus and Somakas
संक्रुद्धानाम् परस्परम्saṃkruddhānām parasparamenraged at one another; enraged at one another
संक्षये तु तथा भूतेsaṃkṣaye tu tathā bhūtein [such] a destruction [that] had come; in [such] a destruction that had come
वर्तमाने महाभयेvartamāne mahābhayeongoing, amid great terror; ongoing, amid great terror
द्वंद्वीभूतेषु सैन्येषुdvaṃdvībhūteṣu sainyeṣuwhen the armies had broken into pairs; when the armies had broken into pairs
युध्यमानेषु अभीतवत्yudhyamāneṣu abhītavatfighting fearlessly; fighting fearlessly
Translation
Then the battle began of all the hastening archers -- the Kurus and Somakas, enraged at one another. In such destruction as had come, ongoing amid great terror, when the armies had broken into pairs, fighting fearlessly...
Version
428a7e03d5cf · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
'Dvaṃdvībhūteṣu sainyeṣu,' 'the armies broken into pairs': the general storm dissolves into countless single combats. It is significant that amid 'mahābhaya,' great terror, the warriors fight 'abhītavat,' fearlessly. The verse teaches that courage lives even in the midst of universal terror: where 'great fear' reigns, the valiant still stand unafraid; and combat face to face reveals personal courage more clearly than the impersonal press of the crowd -- each answers for himself before his own opponent.