Mahabharata · 7.77.24–25
॥
Devanāgarī
तद् अस्य क्षत्रियास् तत्र सर्व एवाभ्यपूजयन् ॥
यद् अर्जुनहृषीकेशौ प्रत्युद्यातो ऽविचारयन् ॥
ततः सर्वस्य सैन्यस्य तावकस्य विशां पते ॥
महान् नादो ह्य् अभूत् तत्र दृष्ट्वा राजानम् आहवे ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tad asya kṣatriyās tatra sarva evābhyapūjayan ||
yad arjunahṛṣīkeśau pratyudyāto 'vicārayan ||
tataḥ sarvasya sainyasya tāvakasya viśāṃ pate ||
mahān nādo hy abhūt tatra dṛṣṭvā rājānam āhave ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् अस्य क्षत्रियाः तत्रtat asya kṣatriyāḥ tatraat that his kshatriyas there; at that his kshatriyas there
सर्वे एव अभ्यपूजयन्sarve eva abhyapūjayanall indeed honored [him]; all indeed honored him
यत् अर्जुनहृषीकेशौyat arjunahṛṣīkeśauthat against Arjuna and Hrishikesha; that against Arjuna and Hrishikesha
प्रत्युद्यातः अविचारयन्pratyudyātaḥ avicārayanhe advanced, without hesitation; he advanced, without hesitation
ततः सर्वस्य सैन्यस्यtataḥ sarvasya sainyasyathen of all the army; then of all the army
तावकस्य विशां पतेtāvakasya viśāṃ pateyours, O lord of the people; yours, O lord of the people
महान् नादः हि अभूत् तत्रmahān nādaḥ hi abhūt tatraa great roar arose there indeed; a great roar arose there indeed
दृष्ट्वा राजानम् आहवेdṛṣṭvā rājānam āhavehaving seen the king in battle; having beheld the king in battle
Translation
At that, all his kshatriyas there honored him, for he advanced against Arjuna and Hrishikesha without hesitation. Then a great roar arose among all your army, O lord of the people, on seeing the king in battle.
Version
a3bd3b84472b · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Even his own men "abhyapūjayan," honored Duryodhana for having gone forth "avicārayan," without hesitation, against the two Krishnas. Audacity bordering on recklessness. It is telling that courage in facing the unconquerable earns respect. The verse teaches that boldness is worthy of honor even when it is doomed: to stand without hesitation against the unconquerable is valor, even in an unrighteous cause; and the poem honors this courage without thereby lifting its verdict on the deed -- for bravery and righteousness are different measures, and one does not compensate for the lack of the other.