Shloka 15
अर्जुन–उलूपीसंवादः
Arjuna and Ulūpī: Explanation of Śānti and the Maṇipūra Resolution
ततो गाण्डीवधन्वा तु मागधेन भूशाहतः । बभौ वसनन््तसमये पलाश: पुष्पितो यथा
tato gāṇḍīvadhanvā tu māgadhena bhūśāhataḥ | babhau vasantasamaye palāśaḥ puṣpito yathā ||
Lalu Arjuna, pemegang Gāṇḍīva, yang terluka parah oleh panah raja Magadha, tampak bersinar—tubuhnya bermandikan darah—bagaikan pohon palāśa yang mekar di musim semi.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya steadfastness: even when grievously wounded, a righteous warrior maintains composure and radiance. It also shows how epic poetry transforms the harshness of battle into moral-aesthetic meaning through a simile—blood and wounds are not glorified as cruelty, but presented as the cost of duty borne with courage.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, holding the Gāṇḍīva, has been severely struck by the Magadhan king. Covered in blood, he nevertheless appears splendid, compared to a palāśa tree flowering in spring.