Mahabharata · 7.173.2–3
॥
Devanāgarī
संजय उवाच
तस्मिन्न् अतिरथे द्रोणे निहते पार्षतेन वै ॥
कौरवेषु च भग्नेषु कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः ॥
दृष्ट्वा सुमहद् आश्चर्यम् आत्मनो विजयावहम् ॥
यदृच्छयागतं व्यासं पप्रच्छ भरतर्षभ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃjaya uvāca
tasminn atirathe droṇe nihate pārṣatena vai ||
kauraveṣu ca bhagneṣu kuntīputro dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
dṛṣṭvā sumahad āścaryam ātmano vijayāvaham ||
yadṛcchayāgataṃ vyāsaṃ papraccha bharatarṣabha ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्मिन् अतिरथे द्रोणेtasmin atirathe droṇewhen that atiratha Drona; when that atiratha Drona
निहते पार्षतेन वैnihate pārṣatena vaiis slain by Parshata; is struck down by Parshata
कौरवेषु च भग्नेषुkauraveṣu ca bhagneṣuand [when] the Kauravas are broken; and [when] the Kauravas are shattered
कुन्तीपुत्रः धनंजयःkuntīputraḥ dhanaṃjayaḥKunti's son, Dhananjaya; Kunti's son, Dhananjaya
दृष्ट्वा सुमहत् आश्चर्यम्dṛṣṭvā sumahat āścaryamhaving seen a very great wonder; having beheld a very great wonder
आत्मनः विजयावहम्ātmanaḥ vijayāvahambringing him victory; bringing him victory
यदृच्छया आगतम् व्यासम्yadṛcchayā āgatam vyāsamVyasa, who had come by chance; Vyasa, who had arrived by happenstance
पप्रच्छ भरतर्षभpapraccha bharatarṣabhaasked, O bull of the Bharatas; questioned, O bull of the Bharatas
Translation
[Sanjaya said:] "When that atiratha Drona was slain by Parshata, and the Kauravas were broken, Kunti's son Dhananjaya, having seen a very great wonder that brought him victory, asked Vyasa, who had come there by chance, O bull of the Bharatas."
Version
0f74acef503b · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna, having beheld a wonder that grants victory, turns with a question to Vyasa, who has arrived "by chance." It is telling that in the hour of the greatest mystery a sage is found close by: the teacher comes to the one who seeks truth. The verse teaches that asking about the meaning of what one has seen matters more than the victory itself; the one who does not take a wonder for granted but seeks its explanation is ready to hear a revelation — for wisdom comes to the questioning heart.