Mahabharata 3.156.7 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 156, Shloka 7
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठ; को5स्मानभिभविष्यति । सज्जीभवत भद्ठं वः पाण्डवा युद्धदुर्मदा:
uvāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ ko ’smān abhibhaviṣyati | sajjībhavata bhadraṃ vaḥ pāṇḍavā yuddha-durmadāḥ ||
उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठः—कोऽस्मानभिभविष्यति? सज्जीभवत, भद्रं वः, पाण्डवा युद्धदुर्मदाः।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights responsible leadership under dharma: when signs indicate an imminent crisis, a ruler should not lapse into fear or indecision but prepare his people with clarity, blessing, and resolve—channeling martial energy toward a righteous and timely response.
Amid frightening portents, Yudhiṣṭhira speaks with confidence, asking who could defeat them and urging the Pāṇḍavas to ready themselves for war, interpreting the omens as signaling that the time to demonstrate valor is close.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.