Shloka 23

Varuṇa’s Bestowal of the Gāṇḍīva and the Arming of Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna

Khāṇḍava Prelude

Devanagari script

तीर्थानि शोधयित्वा तु तथानुज्ञाय ता: प्रभु: । चित्राड्दां पुनर्द्रष्ट मणिपूरं पुनर्ययां,इस प्रकार उन तीर्थोका शोधन करके उन अप्सराओंको जानेकी आज्ञा दे शक्तिशाली अर्जुन चित्रांगदासे मिलनेके लिये पुनः: मणिपूर गये

Transliteration

tīrthāni śodhayitvā tu tathānujñāya tāḥ prabhuḥ | citrāṅgadāṃ punar draṣṭuṃ maṇipūraṃ punar yayau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem er die heiligen Furten, die tīrthas, ordnungsgemäß gereinigt und jenen Apsaras, wie es sich ziemte, den Abschied gewährt hatte, brach der mächtige Arjuna abermals nach Maṇipūra auf, um Citrāṅgadā wiederzusehen.

Word by Word

तीर्थानिholy places, tīrthas

शोधयित्वाhaving purified/cleansed

तुbut/then/indeed

तथाthus, in that manner

अनुज्ञायhaving permitted, having given leave

ताःthose (women), them

प्रभुःthe lord/master (here: Arjuna)

चित्राङ्गदाम्Chitrāṅgadā

पुनःagain

द्रष्टुम्to see

मणिपूरम्to Maṇipūra (place-name)

पुनःagain

ययौwent

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Apsarases

Citrāṅgadā

Tīrthas

Maṇipūra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic discipline: complete one’s purificatory duties at sacred places, act with propriety and consent in relationships (even with celestial beings), and then return responsibly to one’s intended obligations and bonds.

What is happening in the narrative?

After finishing the purification of tīrthas and formally dismissing the apsarases, Arjuna travels again to Maṇipūra to meet Citrāṅgadā.