Shloka 20

Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians

Book 3, Chapter 42

Devanagari script

ततोडर्जुनो हृष्टमना गज्जायामाप्लुत: शुचि: । जजाप जप्यं कौन्तेयो विधिवत्‌ कुरुनन्दन:,तदनन्तर कुरुनन्दन कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनने प्रसन्नमनसे गंगामें स्नान किया और पवित्र हो विधिपूर्वक जपने-योग्य मन्त्रका जप किया

Transliteration

tato 'rjuno hṛṣṭamanā gaṅgāyām āplutaḥ śuciḥ | jajāpa japyaṃ kaunteyo vidhivat kurunandanaḥ ||

Translation

Then Arjuna, his mind gladdened, bathed in the Gaṅgā and became purified. Thereafter, the son of Kuntī—delight of the Kurus—performed, in due ritual order, the recitation of a mantra fit to be repeated.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

अर्जुनःArjuna

हृष्टमनाwith delighted mind

गङ्गायाम्in the Ganga

आप्लुतःhaving bathed/immersed

शुचिःpure/clean

जजापhe recited (japa-ed)

जप्यम्to be recited (fit for japa)

कौन्तेयःson of Kunti

विधिवत्according to rule/ritually

कुरुनन्दनःdelighter of the Kurus

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Kuntī

Gaṅgā

Kuru lineage (Kurunandana epithet)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that inner readiness for dharmic action is supported by disciplined purification and rule-guided devotion: a calm, joyful mind, bodily cleansing, and proper mantra-recitation (vidhivat japa) together cultivate steadiness and ethical clarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, pleased at heart, bathes in the Gaṅgā to become pure and then performs prescribed mantra-recitation in the proper ritual manner.