Shloka 13
योडयमासाद्य तं दावं तर्पपामास पावकम् । विजित्यैकरथेनेन्द्रं हत्वा पन्नगराक्षसान्,जिसने खाण्डवदाहके समय वहाँ पहुँचकर एकमात्र रथका आश्रय ले इन्द्रको पराजित कर तथा नागों एवं राक्षसोंको मारकर अग्निदेवको तृप्त किया और अपने अप्रतिम सौन्दर्यसे नागराज वासुकिकी बहिन उलूपीका चित्त चुरा लिया एवं जो सम्मुख युद्ध करनेवाले वीरोंमें सबसे श्रेष्ठ है, वह अर्जुन वहाँ क्या काम करेगा?
yoḍayam āsādya taṃ dāvaṃ tarpayāmāsa pāvakam | vijityaikarathenendraṃ hatvā pannagarākṣasān |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “He who, arriving at that forest-conflagration, satisfied Agni; who, standing upon a single chariot, overcame Indra and slew the serpents and the rākṣasas—such an Arjuna, the foremost among heroes who fight face to face, what task would he have to do there?”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how reputation grounded in proven deeds becomes a measure of capability: Arjuna’s past feats—serving Agni in the Khāṇḍava episode and facing even Indra—are invoked to argue that such a warrior would not be idle or ineffective; excellence in direct combat implies readiness to meet any challenge.
Yudhiṣṭhira is speaking about Arjuna, recalling the famous Khāṇḍava-burning episode: Arjuna aided Agni, fought off Indra’s intervention from a single chariot, and slew hostile beings (nāgas and rākṣasas). By citing these exploits, he emphasizes Arjuna’s unmatched valor and questions what significant task could remain beyond him in the present context.