Mahabharata · 7.169.38–39
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं परैर् आचरितं पाण्डवेयैश् च संयुगे ॥
रक्षमाणैर् जयं वीरैर् धर्मज्ञैर् अपि सात्वत ॥
दुर्ज्ञेयः परमो धर्मस् तथाधर्मः सुदुर्विदः ॥
युध्यस्व कौरवैः सार्धं मा गाः पितृनिवेशनम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ parair ācaritaṃ pāṇḍaveyaiś ca saṃyuge ||
rakṣamāṇair jayaṃ vīrair dharmajñair api sātvata ||
durjñeyaḥ paramo dharmas tathādharmaḥ sudurvidaḥ ||
yudhyasva kauravaiḥ sārdhaṃ mā gāḥ pitṛniveśanam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवम् परैः आचरितम्evam paraiḥ ācaritamthus it was done by others; thus it was committed by others
पाण्डवेयैः च संयुगेpāṇḍaveyaiḥ ca saṃyugeand by the Pandavas in battle; and by the Pandavas in the fight
रक्षमाणैः जयम् वीरैःrakṣamāṇaiḥ jayam vīraiḥprotecting victory, by heroes; guarding victory, by heroes
धर्मज्ञैः अपि सात्वतdharmajñaiḥ api sātvatathough knowers of dharma, O Satvata; though they were knowers of dharma, O Satvata
दुर्ज्ञेयः परमः धर्मःdurjñeyaḥ paramaḥ dharmaḥhard to know is the highest dharma; hard to know is the highest dharma
तथा अधर्मः सुदुर्विदःtathā adharmaḥ sudurvidaḥand adharma is very hard to discern; and adharma is very hard to distinguish
युध्यस्व कौरवैः सार्धम्yudhyasva kauravaiḥ sārdhamfight together with the Kauravas; fight together with the Kauravas
मा गाः पितृनिवेशनम्mā gāḥ pitṛniveśanamdo not go to the abode of the ancestors; do not depart to the abode of the ancestors
Translation
"Thus it was done by others -- and by the Pandavas in battle, guarding victory, heroes though they were knowers of dharma, O Satvata. Hard to know is the highest dharma, and adharma is very hard to discern; fight together with the Kauravas, do not go to the abode of the ancestors [do not die]."
Version
fae70358da0e · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:08:17 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhrishtadyumna concludes with a thought both deep and troubling: dharma is hard to know, and adharma hard to discern -- the boundaries of good and evil in this war have blurred. What stands out is that his conclusion is not repentance but a call to fight on. The verse teaches that in troubled times distinguishing good from evil becomes itself a labor; but recognizing this difficulty does not release one from the effort to overcome it -- otherwise it turns into a convenient excuse for any evil.