Mahabharata · 7.118.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
नृशंसं बत कौन्तेय कर्मेदं कृतवान् असि ॥
अपश्यतो विषक्तस्य यन् मे बाहुम् अचिच्छिदः ॥
किं नु वक्ष्यसि राजानं धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
किं कुर्वाणो मया संख्ये हतो भूरिश्रवा इति ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nṛśaṃsaṃ bata kaunteya karmedaṃ kṛtavān asi ||
apaśyato viṣaktasya yan me bāhum acicchidaḥ ||
kiṃ nu vakṣyasi rājānaṃ dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||
kiṃ kurvāṇo mayā saṃkhye hato bhūriśravā iti ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
नृशंसम् बत कौन्तेयnṛśaṃsam bata kaunteyacruel, alas, Kaunteya; cruel, alas, O Kaunteya
कर्म इदम् कृतवान् असिkarma idam kṛtavān asithis deed you have done; you have done this deed
अपश्यतः विषक्तस्यapaśyataḥ viṣaktasyaof one not looking, engaged; of one who was not looking, engaged [elsewhere]
यत् मे बाहुम् अचिच्छिदःyat me bāhum acicchidaḥthat my arm you severed; that you severed my arm
किम् नु वक्ष्यसि राजानम्kim nu vakṣyasi rājānamwhat then will you say to the king; what then will you say to the king
धर्मपुत्रम् युधिष्ठिरम्dharmaputram yudhiṣṭhiramto the son of Dharma, Yudhishthira; to the son of Dharma, Yudhishthira
किम् कुर्वाणः मया संख्येkim kurvāṇaḥ mayā saṃkhyewhat doing, by me in battle; "what doing was I, in battle by me
हतः भूरिश्रवा इतिhataḥ bhūriśravā itiBhurishravas slain -- thus; slain Bhurishravas?" -- thus
Translation
"Cruel indeed, alas, O Kaunteya, is this deed you have done -- that you severed my arm while I was not looking, engaged [elsewhere]. What then will you say to the righteous king, the son of Dharma, Yudhishthira: 'What was Bhurishravas doing when he was slain by me in battle?'"
Version
443fa189d52d · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Bhurishravas appeals not to pain but to honor: what answer will be given to righteous Yudhishthira for a blow struck from behind? It is significant that the reproach is aimed at conscience, not fear: the noble man is wounded not by the hand but by the breaking of the rules of combat. The verse teaches that there are wounds deeper than bodily ones -- wounds of honor; and one who has broken the law of single combat must answer not to the enemy but to his own conscience and to those whose name he holds dear.