वृद्धक्षत्रः सैन्धवस्य पिता जगति विश्रुतः ॥
स कालेनेह महता सैन्धवं प्राप्तवान् सुतम् ॥
जयद्रथम् अमित्रघ्नं तं चोवाच ततो नृपम् ॥
अन्तर्हिता तदा वाणी मेघदुन्दुभिनिस्वना ॥
तवात्मजो ऽयं मर्त्येषु कुलशीलदमादिभिः ॥
गुणैर् भविष्यति विभो सदृशो वंशयोर् द्वयोः ॥
क्षत्रियप्रवरो लोके नित्यं शूराभिसत्कृतः ॥
शत्रुभिर् युध्यमानस्य संग्रामे त्व् अस्य धन्विनः ॥
शिरश् छेत्स्यति संक्रुद्धः शत्रुर् नालक्षितो भुवि ॥
vṛddhakṣatraḥ saindhavasya pitā jagati viśrutaḥ ||
sa kāleneha mahatā saindhavaṃ prāptavān sutam ||
jayadratham amitraghnaṃ taṃ covāca tato nṛpam ||
antarhitā tadā vāṇī meghadundubhinisvanā ||
tavātmajo 'yaṃ martyeṣu kulaśīladamādibhiḥ ||
guṇair bhaviṣyati vibho sadṛśo vaṃśayor dvayoḥ ||
kṣatriyapravaro loke nityaṃ śūrābhisatkṛtaḥ ||
śatrubhir yudhyamānasya saṃgrāme tv asya dhanvinaḥ ||
śiraś chetsyati saṃkruddhaḥ śatrur nālakṣito bhuvi ||
[Krishna:] 'Vriddhakshatra, the father of Saindhava, is renowned in the world; he, after a long time, obtained here Saindhava as a son, Jayadratha, destroyer of foes. And to him, the king, then an unseen voice, with a sound like the thunder of cloud-drums, said: "This son of yours, among mortals, will be, O lord, equal to both lineages in lineage, character, self-restraint, and other virtues. But of him, this archer, fighting with enemies in battle, an enraged enemy, unmarked on earth, will cut off the head."'
943533f93d61 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:37 PM UTC
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The celestial voice foretold for Jayadratha both his virtues and his death at the hand of an unseen enemy: fate is announced in advance, but is no less inevitable for that. It is telling that the prophecy comes true literally — the "unmarked" enemy is Arjuna, guided by Krishna. The verse teaches that what is preordained is announced but not annulled by knowledge of it; and one who has heard the prophecy can only prepare, but cannot escape the appointed hour.