Shloka 9
Dhanañjaya-viraha-śoka and the Resolve to Enter Gandhamādana (धनंजय-विरह-शोकः गन्धमादन-प्रवेश-संकल्पश्च)
कृतास्त्र निपुणं युद्धे5प्रतिमानं धनुष्मताम् । न पश्यामि कुरुश्रेष्ठ तेन तप्ये वृकोदर,कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीमसेन! अस्त्रविद्यामें प्रवीण, युद्धुकुशल और अनुपम धनुर्धर उस अर्जुनको नहीं देखता हूँ, इस कारण मुझे बड़ा कष्ट होता है
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kṛtāstraṃ nipuṇaṃ yuddhe ’pratimānaṃ dhanuṣmatām | na paśyāmi kuruśreṣṭha tena tapye vṛkodara ||
Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Oh el mejor de los Kurus, oh Vṛkodara, no veo a Arjuna—maestro de las armas, diestro en la batalla e inigualable entre los arqueros. Por eso me consume la angustia».
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a righteous leader can be shaken by separation and uncertainty; Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament shows the ethical weight of responsibility for one’s companions and the reliance of dharma on capable protectors. His grief is not mere weakness but an expression of concern for the collective welfare and the fragile balance of safety in exile.
In the forest exile, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīma, distressed because Arjuna—renowned as a peerless archer and master of weapons—is not present/visible. The verse conveys Yudhiṣṭhira’s worry and inner torment at Arjuna’s absence, highlighting how central Arjuna’s martial strength is to the brothers’ security.