Shloka 34
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
गाण्डीवं तु थरनुर्दिव्यं न मुमोच धनंजय: । रत्नलोभान् महाराज ते चाक्षय्ये महेषुधी,महाराज! अर्जुनने दिव्यरत्नके लोभसे अभीतक अपने दिव्य गाण्डीव धनुष तथा दोनों अक्षय तूणीरोंका परित्याग नहीं किया था
gāṇḍīvaṃ tu dhanuḥ divyaṃ na mumoca dhanañjayaḥ | ratnalobhān mahārāja te cākṣayyau maheṣudhī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O king, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) did not let go of his divine bow Gāṇḍīva; and, drawn by its jewel-like splendor, he likewise did not abandon those two inexhaustible quivers filled with mighty arrows.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one turns toward final renunciation, subtle attachment to power-symbols and exceptional possessions can persist. The verse highlights the ethical need to recognize and relinquish pride and possessiveness, not merely external duties.
During the Mahāprasthāna (the great departure), the narrator notes that Arjuna still held on to his divine bow Gāṇḍīva and his two inexhaustible quivers, not yet giving them up, partly due to attraction to their precious, jewel-like value and prestige.