Shloka 35
शमीवृक्षस्थायुधप्रकाशनम् / Revelation and Identification of the Weapons on the Śamī Tree
“इसका स्वरूप तो अर्जुनसे मिलता-जुलता है; किंतु वेषभूषा इसने नपुंसकों-जैसी बना रखी है। देखो न, वही अर्जुन-जैसा सिर है, वैसी ही ग्रीवा है, वे ही परिघ-जैसी मोटी भुजाएँ हैं और उन्हींके समान इसकी चाल-ढाल है; अत: यह अर्जुनके सिवा दूसरा कोई नहीं है ।। अमरेष्विव देवेन्द्रो मानुषेषु धनंजय: । एक: को<स्मानुपायायादन्यो लोके धनंजयात्,मनुष्योंमें धनंजयका वही स्थान है, जो देवताओंमें इन्द्रका है। संसारमें अर्जुनके सिवा दूसरा कौन वीर है, जो अकेला हमलोगोंका सामना करनेके लिये चला आये?
tasya svarūpaṁ tv arjunena sadṛśaṁ pratibhāti; kintu veṣabhūṣāṁ napuṁsakānām iva kṛtavān. paśyata, sa evārjuna-sadṛśaḥ śiraḥ, sā caiva grīvā, te ca parigha-sadṛśāḥ sthūlā bāhavaḥ, tathaiva cāsya gatiḥ; ato ’rjunād anyaḥ sa na bhavitum arhati. amareṣv iva devendro mānuṣeṣu dhanañjayaḥ. ekaḥ ko ’smān upāyād anyo loke dhanañjayāt; manuṣyeṣu dhanañjayasya tad eva sthānaṁ yad deveṣv indrasya. loke ’rjunād anyaḥ kaḥ śūra ekaḥ san asmān pratiyoddhum āgacchet?
Vaiśampāyana said: “His very form looks like Arjuna’s, though he has adopted the dress and ornaments of a eunuch. Look—there is the same Arjuna-like head, the same neck, the same thick arms like iron bars, and the same manner of movement. Therefore, he can be none other than Arjuna. Among men, Dhanañjaya stands as Indra stands among the gods. Who else in the world, besides Dhanañjaya, would come alone to face us?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer appearance can be deliberately altered, but inner identity is revealed through enduring marks—bearing, strength, and conduct. The verse also highlights how moral authority and martial excellence create a reputation so distinctive that it becomes a standard of comparison (Arjuna among men as Indra among gods).
In the Virāṭa episode, Arjuna is living incognito in a eunuch’s guise. Observers infer his true identity from unmistakable physical traits and his characteristic gait, concluding that only Arjuna would dare to confront them alone.