Where Krishna Is, There Is Victory

Verse 1 (6.21.1)

बृहतीं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य सेनां दृष्ट्वा समुद्यताम् । विषादमगमद्राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः ॥

bṛhatīṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya senāṃ dṛṣṭvā samudyatām | viṣādamagamadrājā kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ

Seeing the vast army of Dhritarashtra's son drawn up for battle, King Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, fell into despair.

Verse 2 (6.21.2)

व्यूहं भीष्मेण चाभेद्यं कल्पितं प्रेक्ष्य पाण्डवः । अभेद्यमिव संप्रेक्ष्य विवर्णोऽर्जुनमब्रवीत् ॥

vyūhaṃ bhīṣmeṇa cābhedyaṃ kalpitaṃ prekṣya pāṇḍavaḥ | abhedyamiva saṃprekṣya vivarṇo'rjunamabravīt

Seeing the array formed by Bhishma to be impenetrable, and gazing on it as on something that could not be broken, the Pandava, pale with dismay, said to Arjuna:

Verse 3 (6.21.3)

धनञ्जय कथं शक्यमस्माभिर्योद्धुमाहवे । धार्तराष्ट्रैर्महाबाहो येषां योद्धा पितामहः ॥

dhanañjaya kathaṃ śakyamasmābhiryoddhumāhave | dhārtarāṣṭrairmahābāho yeṣāṃ yoddhā pitāmahaḥ

"Dhananjaya, mighty-armed, how can we fight in battle against the sons of Dhritarashtra, who have the grandsire as their warrior?

Note on the text: Speaker set to Yudhishthira: verses 3–5 are wholly his words to Arjuna, announced in verse 2; Wikisource prints no heading and the input carried सञ्जय.

Verse 4 (6.21.4)

अक्षोभ्योऽयमभेद्यश्च भीष्मेणामित्रकर्षिणा । कल्पितः शास्त्रदृष्टेन विधिना भूरिवर्चसा ॥

akṣobhyo'yamabhedyaśca bhīṣmeṇāmitrakarṣiṇā | kalpitaḥ śāstradṛṣṭena vidhinā bhūrivarcasā

This array, unshakeable and impenetrable, has been laid out by Bhishma, the harrier of foes, a man of abundant splendour, by a method seen in the treatises.

Note on the text: Speaker: Yudhishthira (see verse 3).

Verse 5 (6.21.5)

ते वयं संशयं प्राप्ताः ससैन्याः शत्रुकर्षण । कथमस्मान्महाव्यूहादुत्थानं नो भविष्यति ॥

te vayaṃ saṃśayaṃ prāptāḥ sasainyāḥ śatrukarṣaṇa | kathamasmānmahāvyūhādutthānaṃ no bhaviṣyati

We and our army have fallen into peril, O harrier of foes. How shall we ever come through this great array?"

Note on the text: Corrected संशय्नं → संशयं (misprint in Wikisource; a stray न्, the critical edition reads saṃśayaṃ). Speaker: Yudhishthira (see verse 3).

Verse 6 (6.21.6)

अथार्जुनोऽब्रवीत्पार्थं युधिष्ठिरममित्रहा । विषण्णमिव संप्रेक्ष्य तव राजन्ननीकिनीम् ॥

athārjuno'bravītpārthaṃ yudhiṣṭhiramamitrahā | viṣaṇṇamiva saṃprekṣya tava rājannanīkinīm

Then Arjuna, slayer of foes, seeing Partha Yudhishthira downcast, as it were, at the sight of your army, O king, said to him:

Verse 7 (6.21.7)

प्रज्ञयाभ्यधिकाञ्शूरान्गुणयुक्तान्बहूनपि । जयन्त्यल्पतरा येन तन्निबोध विशांपते ॥

prajñayābhyadhikāñśūrānguṇayuktānbahūnapi | jayantyalpatarā yena tannibodha viśāṃpate

"Lord of the people, hear how the fewer conquer even many heroes who are superior in wisdom and rich in virtues.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Arjuna: verses 7–17 are wholly his reply, announced in verse 6 (verses 10–11 quote the Grandsire); Wikisource prints no heading and the input carried सञ्जय.

Verse 8 (6.21.8)

तत्र ते कारणं राजन्प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे । नारदस्तमृषिर्वेद भीष्मद्रोणौ च पाण्डव ॥

tatra te kāraṇaṃ rājanpravakṣyāmyanasūyave | nāradastamṛṣirveda bhīṣmadroṇau ca pāṇḍava

I shall tell you the reason, O king, for you are free from malice. The sage Narada knows it, O Pandava, and so do Bhishma and Drona.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 9 (6.21.9)

एनमेवार्थमाश्रित्य युद्धे देवासुरेऽब्रवीत् । पितामहः किल पुरा महेन्द्रादीन्दिवौकसः ॥

enamevārthamāśritya yuddhe devāsure'bravīt | pitāmahaḥ kila purā mahendrādīndivaukasaḥ

On this very point, it is said, the Grandsire long ago spoke to great Indra and the other dwellers in heaven during the war of the gods and the asuras:

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 10 (6.21.10)

न तथा बलवीर्याभ्यां जयन्ति विजिगीषवः । यथा सत्यानृशंस्याभ्यां धर्मेणैवोद्यमेन च ॥

na tathā balavīryābhyāṃ jayanti vijigīṣavaḥ | yathā satyānṛśaṃsyābhyāṃ dharmeṇaivodyamena ca

'Those who seek victory do not conquer so much by strength and valour as by truth and kindness, by righteousness and by effort.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Brahma (the Grandsire): verses 10–11 are wholly his words to the gods, announced in verse 9 and quoted by Arjuna; Wikisource prints no heading and the input carried सञ्जय.

Verse 11 (6.21.11)

त्यक्त्वाऽधर्मं तथा सर्वे धर्मं चोत्तममास्थिताः । युध्यध्वमनहंकारा यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

tyaktvā'dharmaṃ tathā sarve dharmaṃ cottamamāsthitāḥ | yudhyadhvamanahaṃkārā yato dharmastato jayaḥ

All of you, cast off unrighteousness and hold to the highest righteousness, and fight without egoism: where righteousness is, there is victory.'

Note on the text: Corrected त्वक्त्वा → त्यक्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; व for य, the critical edition reads tyaktvā) and अतहंकारा → अनहंकारा (misprint in Wikisource; त for न, the critical edition reads anahaṃkārāḥ). Speaker: Brahma (see verse 10).

Verse 12 (6.21.12)

एवं राजन्विजानीहि ध्रुवोऽस्माकं रणे जयः । यथा तु नारदः प्राह यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः ॥

evaṃ rājanvijānīhi dhruvo'smākaṃ raṇe jayaḥ | yathā tu nāradaḥ prāha yataḥ kṛṣṇastato jayaḥ

Know it to be so, O king: our victory in battle is certain. For, as Narada has said, where Krishna is, there is victory.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 13 (6.21.13)

गुणभूतो जयः कृष्णे पृष्ठतोऽभ्येति माधवम् । तद्यथा विजयश्चास्य सन्नतिश्चापरो गुणः ॥

guṇabhūto jayaḥ kṛṣṇe pṛṣṭhato'bhyeti mādhavam | tadyathā vijayaścāsya sannatiścāparo guṇaḥ

Victory is a quality that serves Krishna; it follows behind Madhava. And just as victory is his, so humility is another of his virtues.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 14 (6.21.14)

अनन्ततेजा गोविन्दः शत्रुपूगेषु निर्व्यथः । पुरुषः सनातनमयो यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः ॥

anantatejā govindaḥ śatrupūgeṣu nirvyathaḥ | puruṣaḥ sanātanamayo yataḥ kṛṣṇastato jayaḥ

Govinda, of boundless splendour, unshaken amid hosts of foes, is the eternal Person: where Krishna is, there is victory.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 15 (6.21.15)

पुरा ह्येष हरिर्भूत्वा विकुण्ठोऽकुण्ठसायकः । सुरासुरानवस्फूर्जन्नब्रवीत्के जयन्त्विति ॥

purā hyeṣa harirbhūtvā vikuṇṭho'kuṇṭhasāyakaḥ | surāsurānavasphūrjannabravītke jayantviti

Long ago, as Hari, this Vikuntha of unblunted arrows thundered at the gods and asuras and asked, 'Who will conquer?'

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 16 (6.21.16)

अनु कृष्णं जयेमेति यैरुक्तं तत्र तैर्जितम् । तत्प्रसादाद्धि त्रैलोक्यं प्राप्तं शक्रादिभिः सुरैः ॥

anu kṛṣṇaṃ jayemeti yairuktaṃ tatra tairjitam | tatprasādāddhi trailokyaṃ prāptaṃ śakrādibhiḥ suraiḥ

Those who said, 'We shall conquer by following Krishna,' won the day there; and by his grace Shakra and the other gods gained the three worlds.

Note on the text: Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).

Verse 17 (6.21.17)

तस्य ते न व्यथां कांचिदिह पश्यामि भारत । यस्य ते जयमाशास्ते विश्वभुक् त्रिदिवेश्वरः ॥

tasya te na vyathāṃ kāṃcidiha paśyāmi bhārata | yasya te jayamāśāste viśvabhuk tridiveśvaraḥ

So I see no cause for distress here for you, O Bharata, since the lord of the gods, the enjoyer of all things, himself wishes you victory."

Note on the text: Corrected यजमाशास्ते → जयमाशास्ते (misprint in Wikisource; the aksharas of जयम् transposed, the critical edition reads jayam āśāste). Speaker: Arjuna (see verse 7).