Shloka 8
उत्तरो जयमावेदयति—विराटस्य हर्षः, द्यूतनिषेधः
Uttara’s Victory Report—Virāṭa’s Rejoicing and the Counsel Against Gambling
ततः प्रहस्य बीभत्सुर्दिव्यमैन्द्रे महारथ: । अस्त्रमादित्यसंकाशं गाण्डीवे समयोजयत्,तब महारथी अर्जुनने हँसकर गाण्डीव धनुषपर सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी दिव्य ऐन्द्रास्त्रका संधान किया
tataḥ prahasya bībhatsur divyam aindre mahārathaḥ | astram āditya-saṅkāśaṃ gāṇḍīve samayojayat ||
Entonces Arjuna—llamado Bībhatsu, el gran guerrero de carro—sonrió y, con serena confianza, ajustó en el Gāṇḍīva el arma divina de Indra, fulgurante como el sol. Aquel instante no fue mera ostentación de poder, sino el uso disciplinado y legítimo de la fuerza celeste en una batalla conforme al dharma, donde el dominio se une a la contención y al propósito.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power in the Mahābhārata is ethically framed: even divine weaponry is to be employed with discipline, legitimacy, and purpose. Arjuna’s composed smile and precise ‘sanding’ of the astra emphasize mastery and restraint rather than rage or cruelty.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Bībhatsu), the great warrior, smiles and prepares the Gāṇḍīva by setting a radiant, Indra-given celestial weapon upon it—signaling readiness to confront the impending threat with superior, divinely sanctioned force.