Mahabharata · 7.113.13–14
॥
Devanāgarī
नूनं पार्थार्थम् एवास्मान् मोहयन्ति दिवौकसः ॥
यत् कर्णभीमप्रभवैर् वध्यते नो बलं शरैः ॥
एवं ब्रुवन्तो योधास् ते तावका भयपीडिताः ॥
शरपातं समुत्सृज्य स्थिता युद्धदिदृक्षवः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nūnaṃ pārthārtham evāsmān mohayanti divaukasaḥ ||
yat karṇabhīmaprabhavair vadhyate no balaṃ śaraiḥ ||
evaṃ bruvanto yodhās te tāvakā bhayapīḍitāḥ ||
śarapātaṃ samutsṛjya sthitā yuddhadidṛkṣavaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नूनम् पार्थार्थम् एव अस्मान्nūnam pārthārtham eva asmānsurely, for the sake of Partha; surely, for Partha's sake
मोहयन्ति दिवौकसःmohayanti divaukasaḥthe gods are deluding us; the dwellers of heaven are deluding us
यत् कर्णभीमप्रभवैःyat karṇabhīmaprabhavaiḥfor by those born of Karna and Bhima; since by those coming forth from Karna and Bhima
वध्यते नः बलम् शरैःvadhyate naḥ balam śaraiḥour army is being destroyed by arrows; our host is being destroyed by arrows
एवम् ब्रुवन्तः योधाः तेevam bruvantaḥ yodhāḥ teso speaking, those warriors; so speaking, those warriors
तावकाः भयपीडिताःtāvakāḥ bhayapīḍitāḥyours, oppressed by fear; yours, overcome with fear
शरपातम् समुत्सृज्यśarapātam samutsṛjyahaving withdrawn from the fall of arrows; having stepped out from under the falling arrows
स्थिताः युद्धदिदृक्षवःsthitāḥ yuddhadidṛkṣavaḥstood, wishing [only] to watch the battle; stood, wishing merely to look on at the battle
Translation
"Surely, for Partha's sake, the gods are deluding us -- for our army is being destroyed by arrows coming from Karna and Bhima." So speaking, your warriors, oppressed by fear, having withdrawn from the falling arrows, stood there wishing only to watch the battle.
Version
91a7fd234d16 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Those fleeing blame the gods: "the dwellers of heaven are deluding us for Partha's sake" -- defeat is easier to bear when ascribed to fate than to one's own wrongdoing. It is telling that the warriors, having stepped out of the fight, remain as spectators: fear has not robbed them of curiosity for the spectacle of destruction. The verse teaches that invoking the gods often masks an unwillingness to see one's own guilt; and one who fled the battle yet stayed to watch reveals that he fled not from terror but from the hopelessness of an unrighteous cause.