Mahabharata · 7.73.47–48
॥
Devanāgarī
हाहाकारो महान् आसीद् दृष्ट्वा दिव्यास्त्रधारिणौ ॥
न विचेरुस् तदाकाशे भूतान्य् आकाशगान्य् अपि ॥
अस्त्रे ते वारुणाग्नेये ताभ्यां बाणसमाहिते ॥
न तावद् अभिषज्येते व्यावर्तद् अथ भास्करः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
hāhākāro mahān āsīd dṛṣṭvā divyāstradhāriṇau ||
na vicerus tadākāśe bhūtāny ākāśagāny api ||
astre te vāruṇāgneye tābhyāṃ bāṇasamāhite ||
na tāvad abhiṣajyete vyāvartad atha bhāskaraḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हाहाकारः महान् आसीत्hāhākāraḥ mahān āsītthere was a great cry of 'alas'; there was a great wail of 'alas'
दृष्ट्वा दिव्यास्त्रधारिणौdṛṣṭvā divyāstradhāriṇauseeing the bearers of divine weapons; beholding the bearers of divine weapons
न विचेरुः तदा आकाशेna viceruḥ tadā ākāśedid not move then in the sky; did not move then in the sky
भूतानि आकाशगानि अपिbhūtāni ākāśagāni apieven the beings that go through the sky; even the sky-going beings
अस्त्रे ते वारुणाग्नेयेastre te vāruṇāgneyethose two weapons, Varuna and Agneya; those two weapons, Varuna and Agneya
ताभ्याम् बाणसमाहितेtābhyām bāṇasamāhitefitted by the two of them to their arrows; fitted by the two of them to their arrows
न तावत् अभिषज्येतेna tāvat abhiṣajyetedid not clash, did not meet destructively; did not meet destructively
व्यावर्तत् अथ भास्करःvyāvartat atha bhāskaraḥthen the sun turned, declined; then the sun declined
Translation
There was a great cry of 'alas' at the sight of the two bearers of divine weapons; even the sky-going beings did not move then in the sky. Those two weapons, Varuna and Agneya, fitted by the two of them to their arrows, did not clash destructively; then the sun declined.
Version
0c388f6f090f · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Fire and water, having met, did not clash destructively -- they quenched each other, water putting out fire. The very sky held still in dread before the divine weapons. It is telling that the terrible was neutralized by its fitting counter-remedy, and catastrophe was averted. And the sun declined -- the hour draws near for the fulfillment of Arjuna's vow. The verse teaches that wise opposition does not multiply destruction but extinguishes it: water stills fire, and thus disaster is forestalled. True victory over a terrible force lies not in answering blaze with blaze, but in quenching it by the fitting means.