Mahabharata · 7.119.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
अजितो द्रोणराधेयविकर्णकृतवर्मभिः ॥
तीर्णः सैन्यार्णवं वीरः प्रतिश्रुत्य युधिष्ठिरे ॥
स कथं कौरवेयेण समरेष्व् अनिवारितः ॥
निगृह्य भूरिश्रवसा बलाद् भुवि निपातितः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
ajito droṇarādheyavikarṇakṛtavarmabhiḥ ||
tīrṇaḥ sainyārṇavaṃ vīraḥ pratiśrutya yudhiṣṭhire ||
sa kathaṃ kauraveyeṇa samareṣv anivāritaḥ ||
nigṛhya bhūriśravasā balād bhuvi nipātitaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अजितः द्रोणराधेयविकर्णकृतवर्मभिःajitaḥ droṇarādheyavikarṇakṛtavarmabhiḥunconquered by Drona, Radheya, Vikarna, Kritavarman; unconquered by Drona, Radheya, Vikarna, and Kritavarman
तीर्णः सैन्यार्णवम् वीरःtīrṇaḥ sainyārṇavam vīraḥone who crossed the ocean-of-army, the hero; one who crossed the ocean of the army, the hero
प्रतिश्रुत्य युधिष्ठिरेpratiśrutya yudhiṣṭhirehaving promised [protection] to Yudhishthira; having given his word [before] Yudhishthira
सः कथम् कौरवेयेणsaḥ katham kauraveyeṇahe how by [one] Kauravya; how then he, by [no] Kauravya
समरेषु अनिवारितःsamareṣu anivāritaḥ[in] battles unrestrained; unrestrained in battles
निगृह्य भूरिश्रवसाnigṛhya bhūriśravasāseized by Bhurishravas; seized by Bhurishravas
बलात् भुवि निपातितःbalāt bhuvi nipātitaḥby force [to the] ground felled; felled to the ground by force
Translation
"Unconquered by Drona, Radheya, Vikarna, Kritavarman, the hero who crossed the ocean of the army, who gave his word to protect Yudhishthira — how then has he, unrestrained in battles by any Kauravya, been seized by Bhurishravas and felled to the ground by force?"
Version
fb626fa644c2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra marvels: one unconquerable by the greatest warriors has suddenly fallen — and behind this he senses not chance but a hidden cause. It is telling that his question about Satyaki becomes the occasion for uncovering an old feud between two lineages. The verse teaches that the sudden defeat of the unconquerable is rarely without cause; behind a turn of battle often lies a knot tied long before the battle itself.