Shloka 24
भीमस्य बल्लव-प्रतिज्ञा तथा अर्जुनस्य बृहन्नडा-रूप-निर्णयः
Bhīma’s Ballava Vow and Arjuna’s Decision to Become Bṛhannadā
मृगाणामिव शार्दूलो गरुड: पततामिव । वर: संनहामानानां सो्र्जुन: कि करिष्यति,जैसे पर्वतोंमें हिमालय, सरिताओंमें समुद्र, देवताओं में इन्द्र, वसुओंमें हव्यवाहक अग्नि, मृगोंमें सिंह तथा पक्षियोंमें गरुड़ श्रेष्ठ हैं, उसी प्रकार कवचधारी वीरोंमें जिसका स्थान सबसे ऊँचा है, वह अर्जुन विराटनगरमें जाकर कया काम करेगा?
mṛgāṇām iva śārdūlo garuḍaḥ patatām iva | varaḥ sannihamānānāṃ so 'rjunaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “As the tiger is foremost among beasts and Garuḍa among birds, so Arjuna stands supreme among warriors who are armed and arrayed for battle. What task, then, will that Arjuna accomplish by going to the city of Virāṭa?”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores discernment in deploying strength: even the greatest warrior’s excellence must be matched to an appropriate purpose and context. Supremacy in power is not an end in itself; it should serve dharma through wise strategy and fitting action.
In the Virāṭa Parva, during the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito period, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on Arjuna’s unmatched martial stature—likening him to the foremost of creatures—and questions what role such a supreme, armor-clad hero will play by going to Virāṭa’s city, highlighting the tension between concealment and capability.