Shloka 5
Chapter 47: Krauñca-vyūha Deployment and Conch-Signals
Kaurava–Pāṇḍava Readiness
भारतामृतसर्वस्वगीताया मथितस्य च । सारमुद्धृत्य कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य मुखे हुतम्
bhāratāmṛta-sarvasva-gītāyā mathitasya ca | sāram uddhṛtya kṛṣṇena arjunasya mukhe hutam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: From the Bhagavad Gītā—held to be the very essence of the nectar-like Mahābhārata—Kṛṣṇa churned out its meaning, drew forth its concentrated core, and poured that essence into Arjuna’s mouth; that is, through direct instruction he infused it into Arjuna’s inner faculty, so that amid the war’s moral crisis Arjuna might regain clarity of dharma and steadiness of mind.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the Bhagavad Gītā as the distilled essence (sāra) of the ‘nectar’ of the Mahābhārata, emphasizing that Kṛṣṇa’s instruction is not mere information but a concentrated ethical-spiritual guidance meant to restore discernment, resolve, and right action (dharma) in a moment of crisis.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the epic, uses a churning-and-nectar metaphor: Kṛṣṇa extracts the essential meaning of the Gītā and ‘offers’ it into Arjuna’s mouth—i.e., transmits it through teaching and hearing—so Arjuna can overcome confusion and act with moral clarity on the battlefield.