Shloka 25

भीमस्य बल्लव-प्रतिज्ञा तथा अर्जुनस्य बृहन्नडा-रूप-निर्णयः

Bhīma’s Ballava Vow and Arjuna’s Decision to Become Bṛhannadā

Devanagari script

अजुन उवाच प्रतिज्ञां पण्ढको5स्मीति करिष्यामि महीपते । ज्याघातौ हि महान्तौ मे संवर्तु नृप दुष्करी

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca pratijñāṃ paṇḍako ’smīti kariṣyāmi mahīpate | jyāghātau hi mahāntau me saṃvartuṃ nṛpa duṣkarī ||

Translation

Arjuna berkata: “Wahai penguasa bumi, aku akan mengikrarkan sumpah bahwa aku adalah seorang pāṇḍaka (kasim). Namun, wahai raja, akan sukar bagiku untuk menjaganya, sebab denting tali busurku dan daya busurku amat besar.”

Word by Word

अर्जुनःArjuna

उवाचsaid

प्रतिज्ञाम्a vow, promise

पण्डकःa eunuch (as a disguise/role)

अस्मिI am

इतिthus, saying

करिष्यामिI will do/make (I will undertake)

महीपतेO king (lord of the earth)

ज्याघातौthe twang/striking of the bowstring (two loud sounds)

हिindeed, for

महान्तौgreat, loud

मेof me, my

संवर्तुlet them be/occur

नृपO king

दुष्करीdifficult (to do)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as disciplined self-restraint: even a mighty warrior must curb visible signs of power to uphold a chosen vow and protect a larger ethical goal (safeguarding the incognito period and the welfare of his brothers).

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna tells the king that he will adopt the identity of a paṇḍaka (eunuch) as part of the Pāṇḍavas’ concealment, but notes the practical difficulty: his natural martial prowess—symbolized by the loud twang and strength of his bow—could betray him.