Shloka 76
कृत्वोड्कार प्रतोदं च ब्रह्माणं चैव सारथिम् । गाण्डीवं मन्दरं कृत्वा गुणं कृत्वा तु वासुकिम्,फिर ओंकारको चाबुक, ब्रह्माजीको सारथि, मन्दराचलको गाण्डीव धनुष, वासुकिनागको उसकी प्रत्यंचा, भगवान् विष्णुको उत्तम बाण, अग्निदेवको उस बाणका फल, वायुको उसके पंख और वैवस्वत यमको उसकी पूँछ बनाया
kṛtvā oṃkāra-pratodaṃ ca brahmāṇaṃ caiva sārathim | gāṇḍīvaṃ mandaraṃ kṛtvā guṇaṃ kṛtvā tu vāsukim ||
Vyāsa said: “He fashioned the sacred syllable Oṃ as the goad, and Brahmā himself as the charioteer. He made Mandara mountain into the Gāṇḍīva bow, and Vāsuki into its bowstring.” The image presents a cosmic arming: divine powers and primordial beings are re-purposed as instruments of battle, suggesting that when dharma is at stake, the very forces of the universe are marshalled to uphold order—yet the grandeur also underscores the grave ethical weight of war.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses cosmic metaphor to show that righteous action (dharma) can enlist the highest principles and powers; at the same time, it highlights that war is not merely human conflict but a morally weighty event with universal consequences.
Vyāsa describes a figure being equipped in a mythic, cosmic manner: Oṃ becomes the goad, Brahmā the charioteer, Mandara the bow, and Vāsuki the bowstring—an elevated portrayal of martial preparation through divine correspondences.