Shloka 17
Ulūpī’s Disclosure and the Saṃjīvana-Maṇi: Arjuna’s Restoration (उलूपी-प्रकटनं संजीवनमणि-स्थापनं च)
पुत्रस्तस्य महाभाग मणिपूरेश्वरो युवा
putras tasya mahābhāga maṇipūreśvaro yuvā | mahābhāga nāgarāja! maṇipurasya navayuvā rājā babhruvāhanaḥ arjunasya putraḥ | sa yuddhabhūmau sthitvā svabāṇaiḥ yadā taṃ pṛthivyāṃ pātayiṣyati, tadā arjunaḥ asmākaṃ śāpāt mukto bhaviṣyati ||
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai mulia, putranya adalah penguasa muda Maṇipura. Wahai Nāga-raja yang agung! Raja muda Maṇipura, Babhruvāhana, adalah putra Arjuna. Bila ia berdiri di medan laga dan dengan anak panahnya menjatuhkan Arjuna ke bumi, saat itulah Arjuna akan terbebas dari kutukan kami.”
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how consequences (such as a curse) may be resolved through a destined, dharma-aligned event: a kṣatriya encounter in which even a revered hero must accept defeat when it serves a higher moral and narrative order.
Arjuna identifies the youthful ruler of Maṇipura, Babhruvāhana, as his own son and states that when Babhruvāhana brings Arjuna down in battle with his arrows, Arjuna will be freed from the curse afflicting him.