Shloka 16
Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians
Book 3, Chapter 42
अर्जुनने कहा--मातले! आप जल्दी चलिये। अपने इस उत्तम रथपर पहले आप चढ़िये। यह सैकड़ों राजसूय और अश्वमेधयज्ञोंद्वारा भी अत्यन्त दुर्लभ है ।। पार्थिवै: सुमहाभागैर्यज्वभि र्भूरिदक्षिणै: । देवतैर्वा समारोढुं दानवैर्वा रथोत्तमम्,प्रचुर दक्षिणा देनेवाले, महान् सौभाग्यशाली, यज्ञपरायण भूमिपालों, देवताओं अथवा दानवोंके लिये भी इस उत्तम रथपर आरूढ़ होना कठिन है
Arjuna uvāca—Mātale, tvaṁ kṣipraṁ yāhi. asmin rathottame pūrvaṁ tvam eva samāroha. eṣa hi rathaḥ śataśo rājasūyāśvamedhaiś ca atyanta-durlabhaḥ. pārthivaiḥ su-mahā-bhāgaiḥ yajvabhiḥ bhūri-dakṣiṇaiḥ devataiḥ vā samāroḍhuṁ dānavaiḥ vā rathottamam.
Arjuna sprach: „Mātali, beeile dich. Besteige zuerst diesen vortrefflichen Wagen. Dieser Wagen ist überaus selten—schwer zu erlangen selbst durch Hunderte von Rājasūya- und Aśvamedha-Opfern. Selbst höchst begünstigte Könige, opferfromm und reich an Gaben, ja sogar Götter und Dānavas, würden es schwer finden, diesen erhabenen Wagen zu besteigen.“
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverence for divine gifts and the ethic of honoring a worthy guest/guide: Arjuna urges Mātali to mount first, acknowledging that true excellence (here, a divine chariot) is not secured merely by ritual merit or worldly power, but is rare and to be approached with humility and respect.
Arjuna addresses Mātali and urges him to hurry and board the splendid chariot first. He emphasizes the chariot’s extraordinary, almost unattainable nature—so rare that even great sacrificer-kings, gods, or Dānavas would find it difficult to obtain or ascend—thereby underscoring the chariot’s divine prestige in the episode.