महाभारत · 7.24.34–35
॥
देवनागरी
विकर्णस् तु महाप्राज्ञो याज्ञसेनिं शिखण्डिनम् ॥
पर्यवारयद् आयान्तं युवानं समरे युवा ॥
ततस् तम् इषुजालेन याज्ञसेनिः समावृणोत् ॥
विधूय तद् बाणजालं बभौ तव सुतो बली ॥
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
vikarṇas tu mahāprājño yājñaseniṃ śikhaṇḍinam ||
paryavārayad āyāntaṃ yuvānaṃ samare yuvā ||
tatas tam iṣujālena yājñaseniḥ samāvṛṇot ||
vidhūya tad bāṇajālaṃ babhau tava suto balī ||
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
विकर्णःvikarṇaḥVikarna; Vikarna
तुtuindeed; —
महाप्राज्ञःmahāprājñaḥthe very wise; the very wise
याज्ञसेनिम्yājñasenimthe son of Yajnasena [Draupadi/Drupada]; the son of Yajnasena
शिखण्डिनम्śikhaṇḍinamShikhandin; Shikhandin
पर्यवारयत्paryavārayatblocked [barred the way]; blocked [the way]
आयान्तम्āyāntamadvancing [riding up]; riding up
युवानम्yuvānamthe youth; the youth
समरेsamarein the battle; in the fight
युवाyuvāa youth himself [young]; [himself] young
ततःtataḥthen; thereupon
तम्tamhim; him
इषुजालेनiṣujālenawith a net of arrows; with a web of arrows
याज्ञसेनिःyājñaseniḥthe son of Yajnasena [Shikhandin]; the son of Yajnasena
समावृणोत्samāvṛṇotenveloped [shrouded]; showered
विधूयvidhūyahaving shaken off [dispersed]; having shaken off
तत् बाणजालम्tat bāṇajālamthat net of arrows; that swarm of arrows
बभौbabhaushone forth [was resplendent]; shone forth
तव सुतःtava sutaḥyour son; your son
बलीbalīthe mighty; the mighty
अनुवाद
The very wise Vikarna blocked the youth Shikhandin, son of Yajnasena, who was riding up in the fight — himself young. Then the son of Yajnasena showered him with a web of arrows; but, having shaken off that swarm of arrows, your mighty son shone forth.
संस्करण
f09b84068c29 · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 3:11:21 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Vikarna is called 'the very wise' — the one son of Dhritarashtra who alone dared, at the assembly, to raise his voice in Draupadi's defense against the outrage done to her. Now this worthiest of the Kauravas fights on the wrong side, bound by lineage and duty. In his fate lies a bitterness: a noble man imprisoned in an unjust cause. It is telling that youth stands against youth — Vikarna and Shikhandin are both young. The verse teaches that even among those who serve wrong there are men of honor, whose conscience once rose against evil; that the bonds of family and duty sometimes hold the worthy where their heart would not wish to be; and that the tragedy of Vikarna lies in this — that he who once spoke the truth aloud perishes for a cause he himself condemned in the depths of his soul, unable to break with it to the end.