Mahabharata
The mace-fight: the Vṛṣṇis destroy one another16.4.28-33
15746 / 15823
Mahabharata · 16.4.28-33
Devanāgarī

तथान्यान् अपि निघ्नन्तं युयुधानं समन्ततः ॥
अभ्यधावद् धृषीकेशो विनिवारयिषुस् तदा ॥
एकीभूतास् ततः सर्वे कालपर्यायचोदिताः ॥
भोजान्धका महाराज शैनेयं पर्यवारयन् ॥
तान् दृष्ट्वा पततस् तूर्णम् अभिक्रुद्धाञ् जनार्दनः ॥
न चुक्रोध महातेजा जानन् कालस्य पर्ययम् ॥
ते तु पानमदाविष्टाश् चोदिताश् चैव मन्युना ॥
युयुधानम् अथाभ्यघ्नन्न् उच्छिष्टैर् भाजनैस् तदा ॥
हन्यमाने तु शैनेये क्रुद्धो रुक्मिणिनन्दनः ॥
तदन्तरम् उपाधावन् मोक्षयिष्यञ् शिनेः सुतम् ॥
स भोजैः सह संयुक्तः सात्यकिश् चान्धकैः सह ॥
बहुत्वान् निहतौ तत्र उभौ कृष्णस्य पश्यतः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

tathānyān api nighnantaṃ yuyudhānaṃ samantataḥ ||
abhyadhāvad dhṛṣīkeśo vinivārayiṣus tadā ||
ekībhūtās tataḥ sarve kālaparyāyacoditāḥ ||
bhojāndhakā mahārāja śaineyaṃ paryavārayan ||
tān dṛṣṭvā patatas tūrṇam abhikruddhāñ janārdanaḥ ||
na cukrodha mahātejā jānan kālasya paryayam ||
te tu pānamadāviṣṭāś coditāś caiva manyunā ||
yuyudhānam athābhyaghnann ucchiṣṭair bhājanais tadā ||
hanyamāne tu śaineye kruddho rukmiṇinandanaḥ ||
tadantaram upādhāvan mokṣayiṣyañ śineḥ sutam ||
sa bhojaiḥ saha saṃyuktaḥ sātyakiś cāndhakaiḥ saha ||
bahutvān nihatau tatra ubhau kṛṣṇasya paśyataḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तथान्यान् अपि निघ्नन्तम्tathānyān api nighnantamand others also slaying
युयुधानं समन्ततःyuyudhānaṃ samantataḥYuyudhāna on all sides
अभ्यधावद् धृषीकेशःabhyadhāvad dhṛṣīkeśaḥran up Hṛṣīkeśa
विनिवारयिषुस् तदाvinivārayiṣus tadāwishing to restrain, then
एकीभूतास् ततः सर्वेekībhūtās tataḥ sarvehaving united then all
कालपर्यायचोदिताःkālaparyāyacoditāḥimpelled by the reversal of time
भोजान्धका महाराजbhojāndhakā mahārājathe Bhojas and Andhakas, O great king
शैनेयं पर्यवारयन्śaineyaṃ paryavārayansurrounded Śaineya
तान् दृष्ट्वा पततस् तूर्णम्tān dṛṣṭvā patatas tūrṇamseeing them charging swiftly
अभिक्रुद्धाञ् जनार्दनःabhikruddhāñ janārdanaḥenraged, Janārdana
न चुक्रोध महातेजाःna cukrodha mahātejāḥdid not become enraged, the greatly powerful
जानन् कालस्य पर्ययम्jānan kālasya paryayamknowing the reversal of time
ते तु पानमदाविष्टाःte tu pānamadāviṣṭāḥthey however, seized by intoxication
चोदिताश् चैव मन्युनाcoditāś caiva manyunāand driven by wrath
युयुधानम् अथाभ्यघ्नन्yuyudhānam athābhyaghnanYuyudhāna then struck
उच्छिष्टैर् भाजनैस् तदाucchiṣṭair bhājanais tadāwith remnants of food and vessels then
हन्यमाने तु शैनेयेhanyamāne tu śaineyewhen Śaineya was being killed
क्रुद्धो रुक्मिणिनन्दनःkruddho rukmiṇinandanaḥthe enraged son of Rukmiṇī
तदन्तरम् उपाधावन्tadantaram upādhāvanat that moment rushed forward
मोक्षयिष्यञ् शिनेः सुतम्mokṣayiṣyañ śineḥ sutamwishing to save the son of Śini
स भोजैः सह संयुक्तःsa bhojaiḥ saha saṃyuktaḥhe, having engaged the Bhojas
सात्यकिश् चान्धकैः सहsātyakiś cāndhakaiḥ sahaand Sātyaki, with the Andhakas
बहुत्वान् निहतौ तत्रbahutvān nihatau tatrabecause of their numbers were slain there
उभौ कृष्णस्य पश्यतःubhau kṛṣṇasya paśyataḥboth, before the eyes of Krishna
Translation

Hṛṣīkeśa rushed forward then, wishing to restrain Yuyudhāna, who was slaying others on every side. Then all the Bhojas and Andhakas, uniting together and impelled by the reversal of time, surrounded Śaineya, O great king. Seeing them charging swiftly, enraged, Janārdana did not become enraged — the greatly powerful one — for he knew the reversal of time. They, however, seized by intoxication and driven by wrath, struck Yuyudhāna with remnants of food and vessels. When Śaineya was being slain, the enraged son of Rukmiṇī, Pradyumna, rushed forward at that moment to save the son of Śini. He, engaging the Bhojas, and Sātyaki, engaging the Andhakas, were both slain there by force of numbers, before the eyes of Krishna.

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d74f485e396d · published Jun 21, 2026, 1:15:00 AM UTC

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