Shloka 4
उत्तरोपदेशः
Uttara’s Fear and Arjuna’s Martial Reassertion
बुह्न्नलोवाच व्यवहार्यश्न राजेन्द्र शुचिश्नैव भविष्यसि । धनूंष्येतानि मा भैस्त्वं शरीर नात्र विद्यते,बृहन्नलाने कहा--राजेन्द्र! तुम इन धनुषोंको छूकर भी व्यवहारमें लाने योग्य और पवित्र ही रहोगे। डरो मत, ये केवल धनुष हैं; इनमें कोई शव नहीं है
bṛhannalovāca—vyavahāryaś ca rājendra śuciś caiva bhaviṣyasi | dhanūṃṣy etāni mā bhais tvaṃ śarīraṃ nātra vidyate ||
Bṛhannalā said: “O best of kings, even if you handle these bows and put them to use, you will remain fit for proper conduct and still be pure. Do not be afraid—these are only bows; there is no corpse here.”
उत्तर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reassures that rightful action aligned with one’s duty does not inherently defile: handling and using weapons for a just purpose does not make one impure, and fear should be set aside when dharma requires action.
In the Virāṭa episode, Uttara hesitates to take up weapons, fearing impurity or inauspiciousness. Bṛhannalā (Arjuna in disguise) calms him, saying these are merely bows and there is no corpse or defiling presence—so Uttara may proceed without fear.