Shloka 30
अर्जुनस्य सैन्धवाभिमुखगमनम् तथा विन्दानुविन्दयोर्वधः
Arjuna’s advance toward Saindhava and the fall of Vinda–Anuvinda
अवमन्यमानो यान् याति वृद्धान् साधून् गुरूंस्तथा | स्पृशतो ब्राह्माणं गां च पादेनाग्निं च या भवेत्,वेदोंका स्वाध्याय अथवा अत्यन्त कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्यणगकी तथा बड़े-बूढ़ों, साधु-पुरुषों और गुरुजनोंकी अवहेलना करनेवाला पुरुष जिन नरकोंमें पड़ता है, ब्राह्मण, गौ और अग्निको पैरसे छूनेवाले पुरुषकी जो गति होती है तथा जलमें थूक अथवा मल-मूत्र छोड़नेवालोंकी जो दुर्गति होती है, यदि मैं कल जयद्रथको न मारूँ तो उसी कष्टदायिनी गतिको मैं भी प्राप्त करूं
arjuna uvāca | avamanyamāno yān yāti vṛddhān sādhūn gurūṃs tathā | spṛśato brāhmaṇaṃ gāṃ ca pādenāgniṃ ca yā bhavet | udake niṣṭhīvato vā malamūtraṃ ca muñcataḥ | yā durgatiḥ sā mayā prāptā syād yadi jayadrathaṃ na hanyām ||
Arjuna said: “The dreadful fate that befalls one who scorns elders, the virtuous, and one’s teachers; the fate of one who touches a Brahmin, a cow, or the sacred fire with the foot; and the miserable end of one who spits or passes excrement and urine into water—may that same tormenting destiny be mine if I do not slay Jayadratha tomorrow.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma through negative exemplars: contempt for elders, saints, and teachers, and disrespect toward sacred beings and elements (Brahmin, cow, fire, water) leads to grievous consequences. Arjuna invokes these moral and ritual transgressions to frame his vow: failing his righteous duty would be as blameworthy as such acts.
After the events surrounding Abhimanyu’s death and Jayadratha’s role in restraining the Pandavas, Arjuna makes a fierce public vow that he will kill Jayadratha the next day. He stakes his own spiritual fate on fulfilling it, declaring that if he fails, he deserves the same dreadful end as notorious violators of dharma.