Mahābhārata · 1.159.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
यस् तु स्यात् क्षत्रियः कश् चित् कामवृत्तः परंतप ॥
नक्तं च युधि युध्येत न स जीवेत् कथं चन ॥
यस् तु स्यात् कामवृत्तो ऽपि राजा तापत्य संगरे ॥
जयेन् नक्तंचरान् सर्वान् स पुरोहितधूर्गतः ॥
Transliteración (IAST)
yas tu syāt kṣatriyaḥ kaś cit kāmavṛttaḥ paraṃtapa ||
naktaṃ ca yudhi yudhyeta na sa jīvet kathaṃ cana ||
yas tu syāt kāmavṛtto 'pi rājā tāpatya saṃgare ||
jayen naktaṃcarān sarvān sa purohitadhūrgataḥ ||
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
यः तु स्यात् क्षत्रियः कः चित् कामवृत्तः परंतपyaḥ tu syāt kṣatriyaḥ kaḥ cit kāmavṛttaḥ paraṃtapa"but any kshatriya at all, acting willfully, O scourge of foes,
नक्तं च युधि युध्येत न सः जीवेत् कथं चनnaktaṃ ca yudhi yudhyeta na saḥ jīvet kathaṃ cana[were he] to fight by night in battle -- he would not survive at all;
यः तु स्यात् कामवृत्तः अपि राजा तापत्य संगरेyaḥ tu syāt kāmavṛttaḥ api rājā tāpatya saṃgarebut a king, [though] acting willfully too, O Tapatya, in battle
जयेत् नक्तंचरान् सर्वान् सः पुरोहितधूर्गतःjayet naktaṃcarān sarvān saḥ purohitadhūrgataḥwould conquer all the night-roamers, [if] he has a purohita at his head;
यस्yasoriginal form "yas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कश्kaśoriginal form "kaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यस्yasoriginal form "yas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कामवृत्तोkāmavṛttooriginal form "kāmavṛtto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽपि'pioriginal form "'pi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जयेन्jayenoriginal form "jayen", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Traducción
"But any kshatriya at all, acting willfully, O scourge of foes, were he to fight by night in battle, he would not survive at all. Yet a king, though he too act willfully, O Tapatya, would conquer all the night-roaming beings in battle, if he has a purohita at his head."
Versión
4fec1cb9b02c · publicado 12 jul 2026, 17:19:51 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Here the power of sacred intercession shows itself. The contrast is telling: a lone kshatriya at night is doomed, but a king with a purohita will conquer even the roamers of the night; the presence of a holy man makes up for what is lacking. Here it is revealed that the blessing and prayer of a brahmin protect where weapons are powerless: spiritual protection overcomes unseen threats. Thus the scripture shows that martial strength, crowned by sacred intercession, is unconquerable; and for that reason a king ought to keep a purohita at his side.