Shloka 29

मुद्गलोपाख्यानम् — व्रीहिद्रोणदानं, दुर्वाससः परीक्षा, स्वर्गगुणप्रश्नः

Mudgala Episode: Rice-measure Charity, Durvāsas’ Test, Inquiry on Heaven

Devanagari script

संजहारास्त्रमथ तत्‌ प्रसृष्टं पाण्डवर्षभ: । दृष्टवा तु पाण्डवा: सर्वे संह्ृतास्त्रं धनंजयम्‌

Transliteration

sañjahārāstram atha tat prasṛṣṭaṃ pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ | dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavāḥ sarve saṃhṛtāstraṃ dhanaṃjayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Entonces el toro entre los Pāṇḍava retiró el arma que había soltado. Al ver a Dhanaṃjaya contenerse y llamar de vuelta el proyectil, todos los Pāṇḍava lo contemplaron—reconociendo en su dominio de sí la maestría ética que impide que el poder se vuelva mera destrucción.

Word by Word

संजहारwithdrew, drew back

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

अथthen

तत्that

प्रसृष्टम्released, discharged

पाण्डवर्षभःthe bull among the Pāṇḍavas (best of the Pāṇḍavas)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

तुbut/indeed

पाण्डवाःthe Pāṇḍavas

सर्वेall

संहृत-अस्त्रम्whose weapon was withdrawn / the withdrawn weapon

धनंजयम्Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Pāṇḍavarṣabha (Arjuna)

Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna)

astra (divine weapon/missile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power must be governed by restraint: even a rightful warrior should be able to stop a destructive force once its purpose is served, showing mastery over anger and over the instruments of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna (Dhanaṃjaya), described as the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas, recalls a divine weapon he had already discharged; the other Pāṇḍavas witness this act of controlled withdrawal.