Mahabharata · 7.125.32–33
॥
Devanāgarī
सो ऽहम् अद्य गमिष्यामि यत्र ते पुरुषर्षभाः ॥
हता मदर्थं संग्रामे युध्यमानाः किरीटिना ॥
न हि मे जीवितेनार्थस् तान् ऋते पुरुषर्षभान् ॥
आचार्यः पाण्डुपुत्राणाम् अनुजानातु नो भवान् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
so 'ham adya gamiṣyāmi yatra te puruṣarṣabhāḥ ||
hatā madarthaṃ saṃgrāme yudhyamānāḥ kirīṭinā ||
na hi me jīvitenārthas tān ṛte puruṣarṣabhān ||
ācāryaḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇām anujānātu no bhavān ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः अहम् अद्य गमिष्यामिsaḥ aham adya gamiṣyāmithat I shall now go; here I shall now go [there]
यत्र ते पुरुषर्षभाःyatra te puruṣarṣabhāḥwhere those bull-like men; where those bull-like men
हताः मदर्थम् संग्रामेhatāḥ madartham saṃgrāmewere slain for my sake [in] battle; were slain for my sake in battle
युध्यमानाः किरीटिनाyudhyamānāḥ kirīṭināfighting [with] the Diademed One; fighting with the Diademed One
न हि मे जीवितेन अर्थःna hi me jīvitena arthaḥfor not [for] me is there meaning in life; for there is no meaning in life for me
तान् ऋते पुरुषर्षभान्tān ṛte puruṣarṣabhānwithout those bull-like men; without those bull-like men
आचार्यः पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्ācāryaḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇāmteacher of the sons of Pandu; teacher of the sons of Pandu
अनुजानातु नः भवान्anujānātu naḥ bhavān[may] you grant us leave; may you grant us leave [to depart]
Translation
'Here I shall now go where those bull-like men lie, slain for my sake in battle, fighting with the Diademed One [Arjuna]. For there is no meaning in life for me without those bull-like men. Teacher of the sons of Pandu, grant us leave to depart.'
Version
f22e135ae04a · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:31:38 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Duryodhana asks Drona's permission to "depart" — that is, to fall in battle following his friends. The bitter phrase "teacher of the sons of Pandu" is telling — even in this plea a reproach against the teacher's partiality toward the enemy shows through. The verse teaches that despair not purified by repentance seeks only destruction and someone to blame; and one who has lost the meaning of life yet has not changed his path turns even a plea for death into a rebuke against those who served him — finding peace neither in life nor in thoughts of its end.