Shloka 26
Book 10, Adhyāya 12: Aśvatthāmā’s Request for the Cakra and the Brahmaśiras Context
य: सदैव मनुष्येषु प्रमाणं परमं गत: । गाण्डीवधन्वा श्वेताश्व: कपिप्रवरकेतन:
yaḥ sadaiva manuṣyeṣu pramāṇaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ | gāṇḍīvadhanvā śvetāśvaḥ kapipravaraketanaḥ ||
Celui qui, parmi les hommes, avait toujours atteint la plus haute mesure d’autorité et d’excellence—Arjuna, porteur de l’arc Gāṇḍīva, conducteur des chevaux blancs, et celui dont l’étendard portait le plus éminent des singes—était ainsi rappelé et reconnu comme l’exemple suprême dans le monde des mortels.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates Arjuna as a ‘pramāṇa’—a living standard of excellence among humans—using emblematic epithets (Gāṇḍīva, white horses, Hanumān-banner) to signal that true authority is grounded in proven virtue, prowess, and the recognized symbols of righteous power.
Vaiśampāyana identifies Arjuna through his well-known epithets, emphasizing his unmatched stature among men. In the Sauptika context, such identification heightens the contrast between celebrated heroic norms and the grim aftermath of the night-raid episode.