Shloka 29
अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः
Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire
तत: पावकमन्रूतां प्रहष्टावर्जुनाच्युतौ । कृतास्त्रौ शस्त्रसम्पन्नो रथिनौ ध्वजिनावपि,इसके बाद अस्त्रविद्याके ज्ञाता एवं शस्त्रसम्पन्न अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्णने प्रसन्न होकर अग्निदेवसे कहा--“भगवन्! अब हम दोनों रथ और ध्वजासे युक्त हो सम्पूर्ण देवताओं तथा असुरोंसे भी युद्ध करनेमें समर्थ हो गये हैं; फिर तक्षक नागके लिये युद्धकी इच्छा रखनेवाले अकेले वज्रधारी इन्द्रसे युद्ध करना क्या बड़ी बात है?”
tataḥ pāvakam anrūtāṁ prahṛṣṭāv arjunācyutau | kṛtāstrau śastrasampanno rathinau dhvajināv api ||
Then Arjuna and Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa), delighted, addressed Agni. Having become fully equipped with consecrated weapons and complete in martial gear—mounted on a chariot and bearing a banner—they declared that they were now capable of fighting even all the gods and the asuras; therefore, what great difficulty could there be in battling Indra alone, the wielder of the thunderbolt, who was eager to fight on behalf of Takṣaka? The verse underscores the surge of confidence that follows divine empowerment, while hinting at the ethical tension of confronting a deity in pursuit of a vowed objective.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Divine empowerment can intensify human resolve and confidence, but it also raises ethical questions about the limits of force—especially when one’s mission leads to confrontation with higher powers.
After receiving or being equipped with powerful weapons and full chariot insignia, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa joyfully speak to Agni, asserting their readiness for battle and minimizing the challenge of facing even a formidable divine opponent.