Shloka 20
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
सर्वभूतवरौ वीरी नरनारायणाविमौ । “जो सदा चन्द्रमाकी कान्ति
sañjaya uvāca |
sarvabhūtavarau vīrau naranārāyaṇāv imau |
yo sadā candramā-kāntiṃ agni-dīptiṃ vāyu-balaṃ sūrya-tejaś ca dhārayati, tau eva imau vīrau śrīkṛṣṇārjunau |
ekasmin rathopaviṣṭau etau vīrau brahma-śaṅkarābhyāṃ samau sarvathā ajeyau |
etau eva sarvabhūteṣu śreṣṭhau vīrau narāyaṇau naraś ca |
ity etan mahad āścaryaṃ dṛṣṭvā śrutvā ca bhārata ||
Keduanya adalah pahlawan terunggul di antara semua makhluk—Nara dan Nārāyaṇa sendiri. Merekalah Kṛṣṇa dan Arjuna, yang senantiasa memanggul kesejukan cahaya bulan, nyala api, kekuatan angin, dan kemilau surya. Duduk bersama di atas satu kereta, mereka sama sekali tak terkalahkan, laksana Brahmā dan Śaṅkara. Sungguh, di antara segala makhluk, merekalah pahlawan tertinggi—Nara dan Nārāyaṇa. Setelah melihat dan mendengar keajaiban besar ini, wahai Bhārata…
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna as the divine-human pair Nārāyaṇa and Nara, suggesting that righteous action (Arjuna/Nara) becomes invincible when aligned with divine guidance and purpose (Kṛṣṇa/Nārāyaṇa). Their ‘bearing’ of lunar, fiery, windy, and solar qualities symbolizes completeness of virtues—calm clarity, ardor, strength, and luminous power—supporting dharmic victory.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a striking recognition: the two warriors on one chariot—Kṛṣṇa as charioteer and Arjuna as archer—are not merely allies but the exalted Nara-Nārāyaṇa. By comparing them to Brahmā and Śiva and calling them unconquerable, the narration heightens the sense that the Pāṇḍava side is protected by a cosmic, divinely sanctioned force.