Mahabharata 16.8.173 — Mausala Parva, Adhyaya 8, Shloka 173
मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८
Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis
यथा पुरा च मे वीर्य भुजयोर्न तथाभवत् । मैंने धनुष लेकर उनका सामना करना चाहा परंतु मैं उसे चढ़ा न सका। मेरी भुजाओंमें पहले-जैसा बल था वैसा अब नहीं रहा
yathā purā ca me vīryaṃ bhujayor na tathābhavat |
Arjuna said: “As in former times, so now the strength in my arms was not the same. I took up my bow, wishing to confront them, but I could not even string it. The power that once upheld my prowess has departed.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heroic power is not merely physical; it depends on time, destiny, and divine favor. When that support withdraws, even the greatest warrior confronts limitation, underscoring impermanence and the working of dharma and karma after the war.
Arjuna reports that his former prowess has faded: when he tried to face opponents and lift his bow to fight, he could not even string it. This signals the waning of the Pandavas’ worldly power in the Mausala Parva’s aftermath.
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