Shloka 20

मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८

Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुज:ः पीतवासा: श्याम: पद्मदलेक्षण: । यश्व याति पुरस्तान्मे रथस्य सुमहाद्मयुति:

Transliteration

caturbhujaḥ pītavāsāḥ śyāmaḥ padmadalekṣaṇaḥ | yaś ca yāti purastān me rathasya sumahādyutiḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna berkata: “Dia yang berjalan di depan keretaku—berlengan empat, berpakaian kuning, berkulit gelap, bermata laksana kelopak teratai, dan bercahaya dengan sinar yang amat agung—dialah yang menuntun jalan.”

Word by Word

चतुर्भुजःfour-armed

पीतवासाwearing yellow garments

श्यामःdark-complexioned

पद्मदलेक्षणःlotus-petal-eyed

यःwho

यातिgoes

पुरस्तात्in front

मेof me / my

रथस्यof the chariot

सुमहाद्युतिःof very great splendor

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

chariot (ratha)

a four-armed, yellow-robed, dark, lotus-eyed radiant divine figure (implicit Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa-form)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes recognition of divine guidance and protection: Arjuna identifies a radiant, divine presence leading his chariot, suggesting that righteous action and endurance are sustained by alignment with the divine and by remembering the sacred support that precedes and directs one’s path.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna speaks, describing the extraordinary figure who goes ahead of his chariot—four-armed, yellow-robed, dark and lotus-eyed, blazing with radiance—indicating a visionary or revelatory perception of a divine form associated with Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu as the one who leads and safeguards.