Mahabharata · 7.119.19–20
॥
Devanāgarī
स तेन वरदानेन लब्धवान् भूरिदक्षिणम् ॥
न्यपातयच् च समरे सौमदत्तिः शिनेः सुतम् ॥
एतत् ते कथितं राजन् यन् मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि ॥
न हि शक्या रणे जेतुं सात्वता मनुजर्षभ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tena varadānena labdhavān bhūridakṣiṇam ||
nyapātayac ca samare saumadattiḥ śineḥ sutam ||
etat te kathitaṃ rājan yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ||
na hi śakyā raṇe jetuṃ sātvatā manujarṣabha ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः तेन वरदानेनsaḥ tena varadānenahe, by that granting of the boon; he, by that granted boon
लब्धवान् भूरिदक्षिणम्labdhavān bhūridakṣiṇamobtained Bhuridakshina; obtained Bhuridakshina [Bhurishravas]
न्यपातयत् च समरेnyapātayat ca samareand felled in battle; and felled in battle
सौमदत्तिः शिनेः सुतम्saumadattiḥ śineḥ sutamSaumadatti, Shini's son; Saumadatti — the son of Shini
एतत् ते कथितम् राजन्etat te kathitam rājanthis to you has been told, king; this has been told to you, o king
यत् माम् त्वम् परिपृच्छसिyat mām tvam paripṛcchasithat which you ask me; that about which you ask me
न हि शक्याः रणे जेतुम्na hi śakyāḥ raṇe jetumfor indeed they cannot be conquered in battle; for indeed they cannot be conquered in battle
सात्वताः मनुजर्षभsātvatāḥ manujarṣabhathe Satvatas, bull among men; the Satvatas, o bull among men
Translation
"By that granted boon he obtained Bhuridakshina [Bhurishravas], and Saumadatti [Somadatta's son] felled Shini's son in battle. This, o king, is what has been told to you concerning what you asked me; for indeed the Satvatas cannot be conquered in battle, o bull among men."
Version
982eda14d26f · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
So the riddle is resolved: not by valor alone but by Shiva's old boon did Bhurishravas fell Satyaki — yet that boon too ran its full course and then turned: the one who struck down fell in turn to the very lineage he had struck. It is telling that Sanjaya at once declares: the Satvatas as such cannot be conquered at all. The verse teaches that a temporary advantage, even one won by a divine boon, does not overturn the deeper strength of a righteous lineage; the circle of vengeance closed, but the unconquerable nature of the Satvatas remained.