Shloka 19
कृपकर्णसंवादः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Karṇa on Deśa-Kāla and Coordinated Strategy
उभौ मे दक्षिणौ पाणी गाण्डीवस्य विकर्षणे । तेन देवमनुष्येषु सव्यसाचीति मां विदु:,मेरा बाँया और दाहिना दोनों हाथ गाण्डीव धनुषकी डोरी खींचनेमें समर्थ हैं, इसलिये देवताओं और मनुष्योंमें लोग मुझे 'सव्यसाची” समझते हैं
ubhau me dakṣiṇau pāṇī gāṇḍīvasya vikarṣaṇe | tena devamanuṣyeṣu savyasācīti māṁ viduḥ ||
Arjuna said: “Both of my hands are equally capable in drawing the string of the bow Gāṇḍīva. Therefore, among gods and men, I am known as ‘Savyasācī’—one who can shoot with either hand.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined mastery and earned reputation: Arjuna’s title ‘Savyasācī’ is not mere praise but the social recognition of proven capability. In the epic’s ethical frame, excellence in one’s rightful duty (kṣātra skill) becomes a responsibility—power must be matched with restraint and right purpose.
Arjuna is identifying himself through a distinctive mark of his prowess: he can draw the Gāṇḍīva effectively with either hand. By stating this, he explains why he is famed among both gods and humans as ‘Savyasācī,’ reinforcing his identity as the foremost archer at a moment when recognition and martial readiness matter.