Mahabharata · 7.79.6–7
॥
Devanāgarī
ते दंशिताः सुसंरब्धा रथैर् मेघौघनिस्वनैः ॥
समावृण्वन् दिशः सर्वाः पार्थं च विशिखैः शितैः ॥
कौलूतका हयाश् चित्रा वहन्तस् तान् महारथान् ॥
व्यशोभन्त तदा शीघ्रा दीपयन्तो दिशो दश ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
te daṃśitāḥ susaṃrabdhā rathair meghaughanisvanaiḥ ||
samāvṛṇvan diśaḥ sarvāḥ pārthaṃ ca viśikhaiḥ śitaiḥ ||
kaulūtakā hayāś citrā vahantas tān mahārathān ||
vyaśobhanta tadā śīghrā dīpayanto diśo daśa ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ते दंशिताः सुसंरब्धाःte daṃśitāḥ susaṃrabdhāḥthey, mail-clad, greatly enraged; those, in armor, extremely furious
रथैः मेघौघनिस्वनैःrathaiḥ meghaughanisvanaiḥwith chariots rumbling like storm clouds; with chariots roaring like banks of clouds
समावृण्वन् दिशः सर्वाःsamāvṛṇvan diśaḥ sarvāḥcovered all quarters; overspread all directions
पार्थम् च विशिखैः शितैःpārtham ca viśikhaiḥ śitaiḥand Partha -- with sharp arrows; and Partha -- with honed arrows
कौलूतकाः हयाः चित्राःkaulūtakāḥ hayāḥ citrāḥKuluta horses, dappled; Kuluta horses, of dappled [coat]
वहन्तः तान् महारथान्vahantaḥ tān mahārathāncarrying those great warriors; drawing those maharathas
व्यशोभन्त तदा शीघ्राःvyaśobhanta tadā śīghrāḥshone then, swift; gleamed then, speedy
दीपयन्तः दिशः दशdīpayantaḥ diśaḥ daśailluminating the ten quarters; lighting up the ten directions
Translation
They, mail-clad and greatly enraged, with chariots rumbling like storm clouds, covered all quarters, and showered Partha with sharp arrows. The dappled Kuluta horses, carrying those great warriors, shone then, swift, illuminating the ten quarters.
Version
0ea4e767c8e4 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
"Meghaughanisvanaiḥ" -- the rumble of the chariots, like the roar of banks of clouds: the host bears down on one man as a storm. And all this swift splendor, "dīpayantaḥ diśo daśa", lighting the ten quarters, is aimed against Partha alone. It is telling that the glitter and thunder of the many is the reverse side of fear before the one. The verse teaches that a fearsome show of numbers is not yet strength, and a storm of eight breaks precisely where the valor of each alone had proven powerless.