Shloka 116
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
ऐन्द्रिनरस्तु भविता यस्य नारायण: सखा । सोर्ड्जुनेत्यभिविख्यात: पाण्डो: पुत्र: प्रतापवान्,“भगवान् नर, जिनके सखा भगवान् नारायण हैं, इन्द्रके अंशसे भूतलमें अवतीर्ण होंगे। वहाँ उनका नाम अर्जुन होगा और वे पाण्डुके प्रतापी पुत्र माने जायँगे
aindrī-naras tu bhavitā yasya nārāyaṇaḥ sakhā | so 'rjuna ity abhivikhyātaḥ pāṇḍoḥ putraḥ pratāpavān ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “That Nara, who bears a portion of Indra and for whom Nārāyaṇa is a close companion, will be born upon the earth. There he will be renowned by the name Arjuna, and he will be counted as the mighty, valorous son of Pāṇḍu.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Arjuna’s life as divinely purposed: heroic capacity (Indra’s portion) is to be guided by sacred companionship (Nārāyaṇa as friend). Ethically, it suggests that power and fame are meant to serve dharma when aligned with divine counsel and right friendship.
Vaiśaṃpāyana foretells the earthly manifestation of the divine Nara, identifying him as the future Arjuna—Pāṇḍu’s renowned and mighty son—whose constant companion is Nārāyaṇa.