Mahabharata · 7.120.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
एतद् धि पुरुषव्याघ्र महद् अभ्युद्यतं मया ॥
कार्यं संरक्ष्यते चैष कुरुसेनामहारथैः ॥
नास्तम् एति यथा सूर्यो यथा सत्यं भवेद् वचः ॥
चोदयाश्वांस् तथा कृष्ण यथा हन्यां जयद्रथम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
etad dhi puruṣavyāghra mahad abhyudyataṃ mayā ||
kāryaṃ saṃrakṣyate caiṣa kurusenāmahārathaiḥ ||
nāstam eti yathā sūryo yathā satyaṃ bhaved vacaḥ ||
codayāśvāṃs tathā kṛṣṇa yathā hanyāṃ jayadratham ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतत् हि पुरुषव्याघ्रetat hi puruṣavyāghrathis indeed, tiger-among-men; indeed this, O tiger-among-men
महत् अभ्युद्यतम् मयाmahat abhyudyatam mayāa great [deed] undertaken by me; a great [deed] undertaken by me
कार्यम् संरक्ष्यते च एषःkāryam saṃrakṣyate ca eṣaḥthe task, and guarded is this; and guarded is this [Jayadratha]
कुरुसेनामहारथैःkurusenāmahārathaiḥby the great warriors of the Kuru host; by the great warriors of the Kuru host
न अस्तम् एति यथा सूर्यःna astam eti yathā sūryaḥnot [to its] setting goes, as the sun; so that the sun does not set
यथा सत्यम् भवेत् वचःyathā satyam bhavet vacaḥas [that] true might be [my] word; so that my word might become true
चोदय अश्वान् तथा कृष्णcodaya aśvān tathā kṛṣṇadrive the horses so, Krishna; drive the horses so, Krishna
यथा हन्याम् जयद्रथम्yathā hanyām jayadratham[so that] [I] might slay Jayadratha; so that I might strike down Jayadratha
Translation
"For this great deed, O tiger-among-men, has been undertaken by me, and this one [Jayadratha] is guarded by the great warriors of the Kuru host. So — that the sun may not set, that my word may prove true — drive the horses so, Krishna, that I may slay Jayadratha."
Version
a156a1f31e16 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna reduces everything to one point: "that my word may become true." It is telling that the obstacles — the setting sun and the throng of defenders — only throw into relief the weight of the vow. The verse teaches that for an honest man the truthfulness of a given word is dearer than ease; and one who has bound himself by an oath directs all his strength not toward comfort but toward keeping what was said from becoming a lie — for a false word is worse than any defeat.