Mahabharata · 7.76.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
अस्त्रसंबाधनिर्मुक्तौ विमुक्तौ शस्त्रसंकटात् ॥
अदृश्येतां महात्मानौ शत्रुसंबाधकारिणौ ॥
विमुक्तौ ज्वलनस्पर्शान् मकरास्याज् झषाव् इव ॥
व्यक्षोभयेतां सेनां तौ समुद्रं मकराव् इव ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
astrasaṃbādhanirmuktau vimuktau śastrasaṃkaṭāt ||
adṛśyetāṃ mahātmānau śatrusaṃbādhakāriṇau ||
vimuktau jvalanasparśān makarāsyāj jhaṣāv iva ||
vyakṣobhayetāṃ senāṃ tau samudraṃ makarāv iva ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अस्त्रसंबाधनिर्मुक्तौastrasaṃbādhanirmuktaufreed [from] the press of weapons; emerged from the press of weapons
विमुक्तौ शस्त्रसंकटात्vimuktau śastrasaṃkaṭātfreed [from] the trap of weapons; emerged from the trap of weapons
अदृश्येताम् महात्मानौadṛśyetām mahātmānauappeared, great of soul; appeared, mighty
शत्रुसंबाधकारिणौśatrusaṃbādhakāriṇaubringing constriction [death] to their foes; bringing death to their foes
विमुक्तौ ज्वलनस्पर्शात्vimuktau jvalanasparśātfreed [from] the touch of fire; emerged from the touch of fire
मकरास्यात् झषौ इवmakarāsyāt jhaṣau ivaas two fish [escape] from the jaws of a makara; as two fish from the jaws of a makara
व्यक्षोभयेताम् सेनाम् तौvyakṣobhayetām senām tauthe two of them roiled the army; the two of them roiled the army
समुद्रम् मकरौ इवsamudram makarau ivaas two makaras [roil] the ocean; as two makaras roil the ocean
Translation
Freed from the press of weapons, freed from the trap of weapons, they appeared, great of soul, bringing death to their foes. Freed from the touch of fire, like two fish escaping the jaws of a makara, the two of them roiled the army, as two makaras roil the ocean.
Version
1993bb4f8180 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The images multiply: freed from the trap, they themselves become "śatrusaṃbādhakāriṇau", those who bring constriction upon their foes, and "makarau iva", like two sea-monsters, they churn the army-ocean. It is telling how the transformation unfolds: having escaped captivity, they turn captivity upon the enemy. The verse teaches that one who emerges from constriction with God's help himself becomes a storm for those who confined him: the one delivered turns the trouble back upon its source; and one who, shielded by the Lord, has passed through a trap stirs up the very sea of foes, as a makara stirs the ocean.