Mahabharata · 7.173.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
तेन भग्नान् अरीन् सर्वान् मद्भग्नान् मन्यते जनः ॥
तेन दग्धानि सैन्यानि पृष्ठतो ऽनुदहाम्य् अहम् ॥
भगवंस् तन् ममाचक्ष्व को वै स पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
शूलपाणिर् महान् कृष्ण तेजसा सूर्यसंनिभः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tena bhagnān arīn sarvān madbhagnān manyate janaḥ ||
tena dagdhāni sainyāni pṛṣṭhato 'nudahāmy aham ||
bhagavaṃs tan mamācakṣva ko vai sa puruṣottamaḥ ||
śūlapāṇir mahān kṛṣṇa tejasā sūryasaṃnibhaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तेन भग्नान् अरीन् सर्वान्tena bhagnān arīn sarvānall the enemies broken by him; all the enemies broken by him
मद्भग्नान् मन्यते जनःmadbhagnān manyate janaḥthe people consider broken by me; the people believe broken by me
तेन दग्धानि सैन्यानिtena dagdhāni sainyānithe armies burned by him; the hosts burned by him
पृष्ठतः अनुदहामि अहम्pṛṣṭhataḥ anudahāmi ahamI merely finish burning from behind; I merely finish burning from behind
भगवन् तत् मम आचक्ष्वbhagavan tat mama ācakṣvaBhagavan, tell me that; Bhagavan, tell me that
कः वै सः पुरुषोत्तमःkaḥ vai saḥ puruṣottamaḥwho indeed is that supreme man; who indeed is that supreme man
शूलपाणिः महान् कृष्णśūlapāṇiḥ mahān kṛṣṇatrident-in-hand, great one, O Krishna [Dvaipayana]; trident-in-hand, great one, O Krishna [Vyasa]
तेजसा सूर्यसंनिभःtejasā sūryasaṃnibhaḥin splendor like the sun; in splendor like the sun
Translation
"All the enemies broken by him, the people consider broken by me; the armies burned by him, I merely finish burning from behind. Bhagavan, tell me this: who indeed is that supreme man, trident in hand, great one, O Krishna [Dvaipayana], radiant like the sun?"
Version
b30d7392d327 · published Jul 19, 2026, 5:12:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna admits honestly: "the armies burned by him, I merely finish burning" — his glory is borrowed. The humility of the greatest of archers stands out: he does not claim the victories as his own, but seeks to know the true doer. The verse teaches that genuine greatness lies in acknowledging a higher source of one's strength; the one who, while accomplishing great deeds, remembers that he does not act alone is guarded against ruinous pride — and so becomes worthy of revelation.