Shloka 21

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

ततो ऽर्जुनो धनुर् दिव्यं गाण्डीवम् अजरं युधि आरोपयितुम् आरेभे न शशाक च वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

tato 'rjuno dhanur divyaṃ gāṇḍīvam ajaraṃ yudhi āropayitum ārebhe na śaśāka ca vīryavān

Translation

Then mighty Arjuna began to string and ready for battle his divine, undecaying bow Gāṇḍīva; yet, for all his strength, he could not do so.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (Context/देश-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘then/from there’

• arjunaḥ: Arjuna
• arjunaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arjuna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• dhanuḥ: bow
• dhanuḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धनुः)

• gāṇḍīvam: Gāṇḍīva (the bow)
• gāṇḍīvam: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāṇḍīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; धनुषः नाम

• ajaram: unaging; imperishable
• ajaram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गाण्डीवम्/धनुः)

• yudhi: in battle
• yudhi: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yudh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘युधि’ = युद्धे

• āropayitum: to string (it); to set (it) on
• āropayitum: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√ruh (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), कर्तरि प्रयोग; ‘आरोपयितुम्’ = to string/raise (the bow)

• ārebhe: began
• ārebhe: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√rabh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• na: not
• na: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• śaśāka: was able
• śaśāka: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vīryavān: mighty; possessing valor
• vīryavān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vīrya-vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अर्जुनः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the mightiest cannot act when divine favor (anugraha) withdraws; competence is ultimately dependent on the Supreme.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate dependence on God through prayer and disciplined life; avoid egoic certainty in one’s abilities.

Vishishtadvaita: Jīva’s śakti is a bestowed attribute sustained by the Lord; agency is real yet dependent (śeṣa-śeṣi-bhāva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Gāṇḍīva

FAQs

What is the significance of Gāṇḍīva being called 'ajara' (imperishable) in the Vishnu Purana?

It marks the bow as a divine, enduring instrument of destiny—an emblem that victory is not merely human effort but aligned with higher cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of even a mighty hero like Arjuna?

By narrating that Arjuna cannot even ready his famed bow at that moment, the text underscores that prowess depends on circumstances governed by dharma and the overarching sovereignty of the divine.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic frame implies that ultimate power and order rest in the Supreme Reality—heroes succeed only when their action harmonizes with that supreme governance.