Shloka 28
अमरावतिसंकाशं तत् पुरं कामगं महत् अहमस्त्रैरबहुविधै: प्रत्यगृह्लं परंतप,परंतप! इच्छानुसार विचरनेवाला वह विशाल नगर अमरावतीके ही तुल्य था; परंतु मैंने नाना प्रकारके अस्त्रों द्वारा उसे सब ओरसे रोक लिया
Arjuna uvāca: amarāvatī-saṅkāśaṃ tat puraṃ kāma-gaṃ mahat; aham astrair bahu-vidhaiḥ pratyagṛhṇaṃ parantapa.
Arjuna said: “That great city, moving at will, shone like Amarāvatī itself. Yet, O scorcher of foes, I hemmed it in on every side by deploying many kinds of weapons—checking its freedom of movement and bringing it under control.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power and brilliance (a city like Amarāvatī, moving at will) are not inherently righteous; they must be governed. Arjuna’s act of restraining it with disciplined use of astras highlights controlled strength—force applied with purpose to prevent unchecked, potentially harmful freedom.
Arjuna describes encountering a vast, radiant city capable of moving wherever it wished. He says he surrounded and immobilized it from all directions using various astras, effectively stopping its motion and bringing the situation under his command.