Shloka 173
मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८
Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis
यथा पुरा च मे वीर्य भुजयोर्न तथाभवत् । मैंने धनुष लेकर उनका सामना करना चाहा परंतु मैं उसे चढ़ा न सका। मेरी भुजाओंमें पहले-जैसा बल था वैसा अब नहीं रहा
yathā purā ca me vīryaṃ bhujayor na tathābhavat |
Dijo Arjuna: «Como en los tiempos antiguos, así también ahora; pero la fuerza de mis brazos ya no era la misma. Tomé mi arco, deseando hacerles frente, pero ni siquiera pude encordarlo. El poder que sostenía mi proeza se ha apartado».
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heroic power is not merely physical; it depends on time, destiny, and divine favor. When that support withdraws, even the greatest warrior confronts limitation, underscoring impermanence and the working of dharma and karma after the war.
Arjuna reports that his former prowess has faded: when he tried to face opponents and lift his bow to fight, he could not even string it. This signals the waning of the Pandavas’ worldly power in the Mausala Parva’s aftermath.