Mahabharata · 7.76.34–35
॥
Devanāgarī
हर्ष एव तयोर् आसीद् द्रोणानीकप्रमुक्तयोः ॥
समीपे सैन्धवं दृष्ट्वा श्येनयोर् आमिषं यथा ॥
तौ तु सैन्धवम् आलोक्य वर्तमानम् इवान्तिके ॥
सहसा पेततुः क्रुद्धौ क्षिप्रं श्येनाव् इवामिषे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
harṣa eva tayor āsīd droṇānīkapramuktayoḥ ||
samīpe saindhavaṃ dṛṣṭvā śyenayor āmiṣaṃ yathā ||
tau tu saindhavam ālokya vartamānam ivāntike ||
sahasā petatuḥ kruddhau kṣipraṃ śyenāv ivāmiṣe ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हर्षः एव तयोः आसीत्harṣaḥ eva tayoḥ āsītjoy alone was in those two; joy alone was in those two
द्रोणानीकप्रमुक्तयोःdroṇānīkapramuktayoḥfreed [from] Drona's array; having broken out of Drona's array
समीपे सैन्धवम् दृष्ट्वाsamīpe saindhavam dṛṣṭvāseeing the Sindhu king nearby; having beheld the Sindhu king nearby
श्येनयोः आमिषम् यथाśyenayoḥ āmiṣam yathāas of two hawks — the prey; like that of two hawks — the prey
तौ तु सैन्धवम् आलोक्यtau tu saindhavam ālokyathey, having seen the Sindhu king; those two, having beheld the Sindhu king
वर्तमानम् इव अन्तिकेvartamānam iva antikeas though present nearby; as if present close at hand
सहसा पेततुः क्रुद्धौsahasā petatuḥ kruddhausuddenly they swooped, enraged; suddenly they swooped, enraged
क्षिप्रम् श्येनौ इव आमिषेkṣipram śyenau iva āmiṣeswiftly, like two hawks upon the prey; swiftly, like two hawks upon the prey
Translation
Joy alone filled those two, freed from Drona's array, at the sight of the Sindhu king nearby — as of two hawks at the sight of their prey. And they, having beheld the Sindhu king as though present close at hand, suddenly swooped, enraged, swiftly, like two hawks upon their prey.
Version
edb671601096 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The image of "śyenau iva āmiṣe", like two hawks upon their prey: swiftness and inevitability. Their joy is the joy of the goal of a vow drawing near. It is significant that after a long path the goal is at last "antike", close at hand. The verse teaches that perseverance in duty is rewarded by the nearing of the goal: after breaking through every barrier, the guilty one comes within reach; and the one who has not turned aside from the path of his vow, in his hour, swoops upon the mark like a hawk, for steadfastness in a righteous cause leads to its resolution.