Shloka 58
अतोषयत् खाण्डवे यो हुताशं कृष्णद्वितीयो5तिरथस्तरस्वी । लेभे चक्र यत्र कृष्णो महात्मा धनुर्गाण्डीवं पाण्डव: सव्यसाची
atoṣayat khāṇḍave yo hutāśaṁ kṛṣṇadvitīyo 'tirathas tarasvī | lebhe cakra yatra kṛṣṇo mahātmā dhanur gāṇḍīvaṁ pāṇḍavaḥ savyasācī ||
Karna sprach: „Arjuna, der schnelle und höchste Wagenkämpfer—mit Krishna als seinem Zweiten—stillte einst Agni im Khāṇḍava-Wald. Dort erhielt der großgesinnte Krishna den Diskus, und Arjuna, der Pāṇḍava, berühmt als Savyasācī, empfing den Bogen Gāṇḍīva.“
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how extraordinary prowess is reinforced by righteous alliances and divine sanction: Arjuna’s might is presented as validated by a past act that pleased Agni, resulting in sacred weapons for both Krishna and Arjuna—implying that power in war is not merely personal strength but also the fruit of sanctioned deeds and higher support.
Karna recalls the Khāṇḍava forest episode: Arjuna, with Krishna as his companion, helped Agni consume the forest. As a consequence, Krishna received the discus (cakra) and Arjuna received the Gāṇḍīva bow—highlighting the formidable resources and divine-backed history of his opponents.