Mahābhārata · 7.17.10–11
॥
Devanāgarī
वाहास् तेषां विवृत्ताक्षाः स्तब्धकर्णशिरोधराः ॥
विष्टब्धचरणा मूत्रं रुधिरं च प्रसुस्रुवुः ॥
उपलभ्य च ते संज्ञाम् अवस्थाप्य च वाहिनीम् ॥
युगपत् पाण्डुपुत्राय चिक्षिपुः कङ्कपत्रिणः ॥
Transliteración (IAST)
vāhās teṣāṃ vivṛttākṣāḥ stabdhakarṇaśirodharāḥ ||
viṣṭabdhacaraṇā mūtraṃ rudhiraṃ ca prasusruvuḥ ||
upalabhya ca te saṃjñām avasthāpya ca vāhinīm ||
yugapat pāṇḍuputrāya cikṣipuḥ kaṅkapatriṇaḥ ||
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
वाहाःvāhāḥthe horses [draft-horses]; the steeds
तेषाम्teṣāmtheir; of theirs
विवृत्ताक्षाःvivṛttākṣāḥwith rolled-back eyes; [horses] with eyes bulging
स्तब्धकर्णशिरोधराःstabdhakarṇaśirodharāḥwith stiffened ears and necks; [with] rigid ears and neck
विष्टब्धचरणाःviṣṭabdhacaraṇāḥwith legs locked stiff; stiff-legged
मूत्रम्mūtramurine; [their] urine
रुधिरम्rudhiramblood; [and] blood
चcaand; also
प्रसुस्रुवुःprasusruvuḥpoured forth [discharged]; were voiding
उपलभ्यupalabhyahaving come to themselves [regained awareness]; having recovered
चcaand; then
तेtethose; they
संज्ञाम्saṃjñāmconsciousness [sense]; memory [reason]
अवस्थाप्यavasthāpyahaving restored [set in order]; having rallied [reformed]
चcaand; also
वाहिनीम्vāhinīmthe host [army]; the troop
युगपत्yugapatall at once [simultaneously]; all together
पाण्डुपुत्रायpāṇḍuputrāya[at] the son of Pandu; [at] the Pandava
चिक्षिपुःcikṣipuḥlet fly [shot]; hurled [arrows]
कङ्कपत्रिणःkaṅkapatriṇaḥ[arrows] feathered with heron's plumes; fletched with kanka feathers
Traducción
Their horses, eyes rolled back, ears and necks gone rigid, legs frozen stiff, discharged urine and blood. But having come to themselves, regaining their senses, and rallying their host, they all at once let fly upon the son of Pandu arrows fletched with heron's plumes.
Versión
25ca7b02b60f · publicado 19 jul 2026, 15:00:04 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
At first, terror overwhelms even the dumb horses — bodily nature cannot lie, and it shows fear in its full nakedness. But then the warriors "come to themselves and rally their host": and in that return lies their true valor. It is telling that courage here does not mean the absence of fear, but the act of gathering oneself and standing firm after having lived through fear to the point of trembling. This is how genuine bravery reveals itself: not insensibility, but mastery over oneself after being shaken. The verse teaches that being terrified before a fearsome power is no disgrace, since even the horses did not escape it; the disgrace is remaining in fear. Worthy of praise is the one who, having known terror, masters himself and returns to his duty.