Shloka 26
Aśvatthāman’s Admonition to Karṇa on Boasting, Varṇa-Duties, and the Threat of Arjuna
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 45
कृष्णान् भड्लिमत: केशान् श्वैतेनोद्ग्रथ्य वाससा । अथासौ प्राड्मुखो भूत्वा शुचि: प्रयतमानस: । अभिदध्यौ महाबाहु: सर्वास्त्राणि रथोत्तमे,फिर उन्होंने काले-काले घुँघराले केशोंको श्वेत वस्त्रसे बाँध दिया और पूर्वकी ओर मुँह करके पवित्र एवं एकाग्रचित्त हो महाबाहु धनंजयने उस श्रेष्ठ रथपर सम्पूर्ण अस्त्रोंका ध्यान किया
kṛṣṇān bhaḍlimataḥ keśān śvaitenodgrathya vāsasā | athāsau prāṅmukho bhūtvā śuciḥ prayatamānasaḥ | abhidadhyau mahābāhuḥ sarvāstrāṇi rathottame ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having bound up his dark, curly hair with a white cloth, he then faced east. Pure and with a disciplined, concentrated mind, the mighty-armed Dhanañjaya, seated upon that excellent chariot, meditated upon (and inwardly invoked) all his weapons.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a martial context, power is framed as something to be approached through inner purity, disciplined attention, and restraint. The hero’s preparation is not only physical but ethical and mental—suggesting that right action (dharma) requires self-mastery before the use of force.
Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) prepares for action: he ties up his hair with a white cloth, turns to face the east, composes himself in purity and concentration, and then mentally invokes/recalls all his weapons while seated on an excellent chariot.