Mahabharata · 7.154.20
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
तथा ह्य् अन्तर्हिते तस्मिन् कूटयोधिनि राक्षसे ॥
मामकैः प्रतिपन्नं यत् तन् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
tathā hy antarhite tasmin kūṭayodhini rākṣase ||
māmakaiḥ pratipannaṃ yat tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथा हि अन्तर्हिते तस्मिन्tathā hi antarhite tasminso indeed when that one vanished; when that one thus vanished
कूटयोधिनि राक्षसेkūṭayodhini rākṣasethe deceitfully-fighting rakshasa; the deceitfully fighting rakshasa
मामकैः प्रतिपन्नम् यत्māmakaiḥ pratipannam yatwhat my [men] undertook; what my men undertook
तत् मम आचक्ष्व संजयtat mama ācakṣva saṃjayatell that to me, Sanjaya; tell me of that, Sanjaya
Translation
"When that deceitfully-fighting rakshasa thus vanished, what did my [warriors] undertake? Tell me of that, Sanjaya."
Version
443e8a87c854 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:10 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra calls the rakshasa 'deceitfully fighting' — but the deceit lies in the eyes of the losing side: invisibility is a weapon like any other. It is telling that the blind king worries over the fate of his own men in the hour when the enemy cannot be seen. The verse teaches that the measure of 'fair' and 'foul' in war is often dictated by advantage; and one who suffers loss is inclined to call dishonest any skill of the enemy that he himself lacks.