Shloka 58
अतोषयत् खाण्डवे यो हुताशं कृष्णद्वितीयो5तिरथस्तरस्वी । लेभे चक्र यत्र कृष्णो महात्मा धनुर्गाण्डीवं पाण्डव: सव्यसाची,उन वेगशाली और अतिरथी वीर अर्जुनने अपने दूसरे साथी श्रीकृष्णके साथ जाकर खाण्डववनमें अग्निदेवको तृप्त किया था, जहाँ महात्मा श्रीकृष्णको तो चक्र मिला और पाण्डुपुत्र सव्यसाची अर्जुनने गाण्डीव धनुष प्राप्त किया
atoṣayat khāṇḍave yo hutāśaṁ kṛṣṇadvitīyo 'tirathas tarasvī | lebhe cakra yatra kṛṣṇo mahātmā dhanur gāṇḍīvaṁ pāṇḍavaḥ savyasācī ||
Karna said: “That swift and foremost chariot-warrior Arjuna—accompanied by Krishna as his second—once satisfied Agni in the Khāṇḍava forest. There, the great-souled Krishna obtained the discus, and the Pāṇḍava Arjuna, famed as Savyasācī, received the bow Gāṇḍīva.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how extraordinary prowess is reinforced by righteous alliances and divine sanction: Arjuna’s might is presented as validated by a past act that pleased Agni, resulting in sacred weapons for both Krishna and Arjuna—implying that power in war is not merely personal strength but also the fruit of sanctioned deeds and higher support.
Karna recalls the Khāṇḍava forest episode: Arjuna, with Krishna as his companion, helped Agni consume the forest. As a consequence, Krishna received the discus (cakra) and Arjuna received the Gāṇḍīva bow—highlighting the formidable resources and divine-backed history of his opponents.