SánscritoIASTSignificado
दम्भोद्भवः कार्तवीर्यःdambhodbhavaḥ kārtavīryaḥDambhodbhava, Kartavirya,
उत्तरः च बृहद्रथःuttaraḥ ca bṛhadrathaḥUttara, and Brihadratha —
श्रेयसः हि अवमन्य इहśreyasaḥ hi avamanya ihahaving here scorned those better [than themselves],
विनेशुः स-बलाः नृपाःvineśuḥ sa-balāḥ nṛpāḥthese kings perished with their armies;
मुमुक्षमाणाः त्वत्तः चmumukṣamāṇāḥ tvattaḥ cawishing to free [the kings] from you,
न वयम् ब्राह्मण-ब्रुवाःna vayam brāhmaṇa-bruvāḥwe are not [truly] so-called brahmins:
शौरिः अस्मि हृषीकेशःśauriḥ asmi hṛṣīkeśaḥI am Shauri Hrishikesha,
नृ-वीरौ पाण्डवौ इमौnṛ-vīrau pāṇḍavau imau[and] these two are the heroic Pandava men;
त्वाम् आह्वयामहे राजन्tvām āhvayāmahe rājanwe challenge you, O king,
स्थिरः युध्यस्व मागधsthiraḥ yudhyasva māgadhafight resolutely, O Magadha,
मुञ्च वा नृपतीन् सर्वान्muñca vā nṛpatīn sarvānor release all the kings;
मा गमः त्वम् यम-क्षयम्mā gamaḥ tvam yama-kṣayamdo not go into the abode of Yama.
कार्तवीर्यkārtavīryaoriginal form "kārtavīrya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उत्तरश्uttaraśoriginal form "uttaraś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रेयसोśreyasooriginal form "śreyaso", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form "hy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अवमन्येहavamanyehaoriginal form "avamanyeha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सबलाsabalāoriginal form "sabalā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मुमुक्षमाणास्mumukṣamāṇāsoriginal form "mumukṣamāṇās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वत्तश्tvattaśoriginal form "tvattaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वयंvayaṃoriginal form "vayaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणब्रुवाःbrāhmaṇabruvāḥoriginal form "brāhmaṇabruvāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शौरिर्śauriroriginal form "śaurir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हृषीकेशोhṛṣīkeśooriginal form "hṛṣīkeśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृवीरौnṛvīrauoriginal form "nṛvīrau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पाण्डवाव्pāṇḍavāvoriginal form "pāṇḍavāv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्थिरोsthirooriginal form "sthiro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गमस्gamasoriginal form "gamas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यमक्षयम्yamakṣayamoriginal form "yamakṣayam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here the Lord reveals Himself — 'I am Hrishikesha' — and sets a clear choice: free the captives or fight. It is telling that even in the hour of challenge a chance for repentance is given: to the very last a peaceful outcome is offered. Thus scripture shows that the Lord's justice does not rush to punish but seeks conversion; what follows is the tyrant's answer.