Mahabharata · 7.118.25–26
॥
Devanāgarī
आत्तशस्त्रस्य हि रणे वृष्णिवीरं जिघांसतः ॥
यद् अहं बाहुम् अच्छैत्सं न स धर्मो विगर्हितः ॥
न्यस्तशस्त्रस्य बालस्य विरथस्य विवर्मणः ॥
अभिमन्योर् वधं तात धार्मिकः को न पूजयेत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
āttaśastrasya hi raṇe vṛṣṇivīraṃ jighāṃsataḥ ||
yad ahaṃ bāhum acchaitsaṃ na sa dharmo vigarhitaḥ ||
nyastaśastrasya bālasya virathasya vivarmaṇaḥ ||
abhimanyor vadhaṃ tāta dhārmikaḥ ko na pūjayet ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आत्तशस्त्रस्य हि रणेāttaśastrasya hi raṇeof one who had taken up weapons in battle; for of you, who had taken up weapons in battle
वृष्णिवीरम् जिघांसतःvṛṣṇivīram jighāṃsataḥdesiring to slay the Vrishni hero; desiring to slay the Vrishni hero
यत् अहम् बाहुम् अच्छैत्सम्yat aham bāhum acchaitsamthat I severed his arm; in that I severed his arm
न सः धर्मः विगर्हितःna saḥ dharmaḥ vigarhitaḥthat dharma is not to be reproached; that is not a reprehensible dharma
न्यस्तशस्त्रस्य बालस्यnyastaśastrasya bālasyaof one who had laid down weapons, of the boy; of one who had laid down his weapons, a mere boy
विरथस्य विवर्मणःvirathasya vivarmaṇaḥchariotless, without armor; chariotless, without armor
अभिमन्योः वधम् तातabhimanyoḥ vadham tātathe slaying of Abhimanyu, dear one; the slaying of Abhimanyu, dear one
धार्मिकः कः न पूजयेत्dhārmikaḥ kaḥ na pūjayetwhat righteous man would not approve; what righteous man would approve of it?
Translation
"For you, who had taken up weapons in battle, desiring to slay the Vrishni hero [Satyaki] -- that I severed your arm is not a reprehensible dharma. But the slaying of Abhimanyu, dear one -- a mere boy who had laid down his weapons, chariotless, without armor -- what righteous man would approve of that?"
Version
dc570630a879 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna turns the reproach back: Bhurishravas was armed and ready to kill -- while Abhimanyu fell unarmed, a boy, at the hands of many. It is significant that the one who reproaches is himself implicated in the very wrong of which he accuses another: "where was your dharma then?" The verse teaches that a rebuke loses its force in the mouth of one implicated in a greater evil; before judging another's blow against the living, one must ask whether one's own camp is not already stained with the blood of the defenseless -- lest judgment turn into hypocrisy.