Mahabharata · 7.101.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
निहते चेदिराजे तु तत् खण्डं पित्र्यम् आविशत् ॥
अमर्षवशम् आपन्नः पुत्रो ऽस्य परमास्त्रवित् ॥
तम् अपि प्रहसन् द्रोणः शरैर् निन्ये यमक्षयम् ॥
महाव्याघ्रो महारण्ये मृगशावं यथा बली ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nihate cedirāje tu tat khaṇḍaṃ pitryam āviśat ||
amarṣavaśam āpannaḥ putro 'sya paramāstravit ||
tam api prahasan droṇaḥ śarair ninye yamakṣayam ||
mahāvyāghro mahāraṇye mṛgaśāvaṃ yathā balī ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
निहते चेदिराजे तुnihate cedirāje tu[when] the king of Chedi was slain; with the king of Chedi struck down
तत् खण्डम् पित्र्यम् आविशत्tat khaṇḍam pitryam āviśat[that] paternal place he entered; [that] paternal post he took up
अमर्षवशम् आपन्नःamarṣavaśam āpannaḥfallen under the sway of wrath; overcome by the power of fury
पुत्रः अस्य परमास्त्रवित्putraḥ asya paramāstravithis son, supreme knower of weapons; his son, foremost knower of weapons
तम् अपि प्रहसन् द्रोणःtam api prahasan droṇaḥhim too, laughing, Drona; him too, with a laugh, Drona
शरैः निन्ये यमक्षयम्śaraiḥ ninye yamakṣayamwith arrows led [him] to Yama's abode; with arrows sent [him] to Yama's dwelling
महाव्याघ्रः महारण्येmahāvyāghraḥ mahāraṇyelike a great tiger in a great forest; like a great tiger in a vast forest
मृगशावम् यथा बलीmṛgaśāvam yathā balīa fawn, the mighty one; a fawn, the powerful one
Translation
When the king of Chedi was slain, his son, fallen under the sway of wrath, the supreme knower of weapons, took up that paternal place. Him too, laughing, Drona led with arrows to Yama's abode, as a great tiger, mighty, [takes] a fawn in a vast forest.
Version
ead2515acb39 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:17:33 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The son takes his fallen father's place — and follows him to death, "mṛgaśāvaṃ yathā" — like a fawn before a tiger: grief for a father leads the son into the same jaws. It is telling that vengeance born of grief only multiplies the family's loss. The verse teaches that unreasoning retribution destroys the avengers one after another: the son who rushes after his father out of anger shares his fate, and the cycle of grief, uncut by wisdom, swallows the line link by link.