Shloka 12
Ulūpī’s Disclosure and the Saṃjīvana-Maṇi: Arjuna’s Restoration (उलूपी-प्रकटनं संजीवनमणि-स्थापनं च)
पुरा हि श्रुतमेतत् ते वसुभि: कथितं मया । गज्जायास्तीरमाश्रित्य हते शान्तनवे नूप
purā hi śrutam etat te vasubhiḥ kathitaṃ mayā | gaṅgāyās tīram āśritya hate śāntanave nūpam ||
Arjuna dijo: «Oh rey, antaño oí este mismo asunto—pronunciado por los Vasus y luego referido por mí a ti—cuando, tras la caída de Bhīṣma, hijo de Śāntanu, ellos acudieron a la ribera del Gaṅgā y hablaron en relación contigo. Lo escuché con mis propios oídos».
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the ethical weight of reliable testimony: Arjuna grounds his statement in direct hearing and in the words of authoritative beings (the Vasus), suggesting that counsel to a king should rest on trustworthy sources and witnessed tradition, especially in the morally complex aftermath of war.
Arjuna begins recounting an earlier episode: after Bhīṣma (Śāntanu’s son) had fallen, the Vasus came to the bank of the Gaṅgā and spoke about a matter connected with the king. Arjuna states he personally heard it and had conveyed it to the king.