Mahabharata · 7.75.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
अथोत्स्मयन् हृषीकेशः स्त्रीमध्य इव भारत ॥
अर्जुनेन कृते संख्ये शरगर्भगृहे तदा ॥
उपावर्तयद् अव्यग्रस् तान् अश्वान् पुष्करेक्षणः ॥
मिषतां सर्वसैन्यानां त्वदीयानां विशां पते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
athotsmayan hṛṣīkeśaḥ strīmadhya iva bhārata ||
arjunena kṛte saṃkhye śaragarbhagṛhe tadā ||
upāvartayad avyagras tān aśvān puṣkarekṣaṇaḥ ||
miṣatāṃ sarvasainyānāṃ tvadīyānāṃ viśāṃ pate ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथ उत्स्मयन् हृषीकेशःatha utsmayan hṛṣīkeśaḥthen, smiling, Hrishikesha; then, smiling, Hrishikesha
स्त्रीमध्ये इव भारतstrīmadhye iva bhārataas if among women, O Bharata; as if among women, O Bharata
अर्जुनेन कृते संख्येarjunena kṛte saṃkhye[when] made by Arjuna in the battle; when made by Arjuna in the battle
शरगर्भगृहे तदाśaragarbhagṛhe tadāa mansion-house of arrows then; a mansion-house of arrows then
उपावर्तयत् अव्यग्रःupāvartayat avyagraḥtended [them], unperturbed; tended [them], unperturbed
तान् अश्वान् पुष्करेक्षणःtān aśvān puṣkarekṣaṇaḥthose horses, the lotus-eyed one; those horses, the lotus-eyed one
मिषताम् सर्वसैन्यानाम्miṣatām sarvasainyānāmbefore the eyes of all the armies; before the eyes of all the armies
त्वदीयानाम् विशां पतेtvadīyānām viśāṃ pateyours, O lord of peoples; yours, O sovereign
Translation
Then, smiling, Hrishikesha, as if among women, O Bharata — when Arjuna had made in battle a mansion-house of arrows — tended, unperturbed, those horses, the lotus-eyed one, before the eyes of all your armies, O lord of peoples.
Version
a77668a2b8d1 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
'Strīmadhye iva,' 'as if among women' — Krishna tends the horses so calmly and unhurriedly, as though in a peaceful chamber and not amid the thick of slaughter. The Lord's composure is absolute. It is telling that amid thousands of enemies He acts as though at ease at home. The verse teaches the Lord's perfect calm in every circumstance: for the Lord there is no 'dangerous place' — He is equally serene in a chamber and amid armies; and this composure of His is an image of an inner peace beyond the reach of outer turmoil.