Mahabharata · 7.118.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
को हि नाम प्रमत्ताय परेण सह युध्यते ॥
ईदृशं व्यसनं दद्याद् यो न कृष्णसखो भवेत् ॥
व्रात्याः संश्लिष्टकर्माणः प्रकृत्यैव विगर्हिताः ॥
वृष्ण्यन्धकाः कथं पार्थ प्रमाणं भवता कृताः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ko hi nāma pramattāya pareṇa saha yudhyate ||
īdṛśaṃ vyasanaṃ dadyād yo na kṛṣṇasakho bhavet ||
vrātyāḥ saṃśliṣṭakarmāṇaḥ prakṛtyaiva vigarhitāḥ ||
vṛṣṇyandhakāḥ kathaṃ pārtha pramāṇaṃ bhavatā kṛtāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कः हि नाम प्रमत्तायkaḥ hi nāma pramattāyawho indeed, against the careless; who indeed, [striking] against the careless
परेण सह युध्यतेpareṇa saha yudhyatefighting together with another; fighting with another
ईदृशम् व्यसनम् दद्यात्īdṛśam vyasanam dadyātwould deal such misfortune; would deal such a misfortune
यः न कृष्णसखः भवेत्yaḥ na kṛṣṇasakhaḥ bhavetwho would not be Krishna's friend; if he were not a friend of Krishna
व्रात्याः संश्लिष्टकर्माणःvrātyāḥ saṃśliṣṭakarmāṇaḥvratyas, of soiled deeds; vratyas, with impure deeds
प्रकृत्या एव विगर्हिताःprakṛtyā eva vigarhitāḥby nature itself despised; despised already by their very nature
वृष्ण्यन्धकाः कथम् पार्थvṛṣṇyandhakāḥ katham pārthathe Vrishni-Andhakas, how, O Partha; how then have the Vrishni-Andhakas, O Partha
प्रमाणम् भवता कृताःpramāṇam bhavatā kṛtāḥbeen made a standard by you; been made a standard by you
Translation
"Who indeed would deal such a misfortune to one striking a careless man engaged in fighting another, if he were not a friend of Krishna? The Vrishni-Andhakas -- vratyas, of impure deeds, despised already by their very nature -- how then, O Partha, have they been made a standard by you?"
Version
9643a6c9da15 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
In his bitterness Bhurishravas now reviles the Vrishnis themselves, and the friendship with Krishna -- anger widens the reproach beyond what is just. It is significant that slander against the "inborn depravity" of an entire clan is the same injustice he accuses Arjuna of: grief drives one toward sweeping condemnation. The verse teaches that pain, even righteous at its root, easily overreaches its measure and stains the innocent; one who reproaches must guard against letting a rebuke for a single deed turn into slander against a whole people.