Shloka 16
शमीवृक्षस्थायुधप्रकाशनम् / Revelation and Identification of the Weapons on the Śamī Tree
वैशम्पायन उवाच अविजातो विजातस्य मौखर््याद् धूर्तस्थ पश्यत: । परिदेवयते मन्द: सकाशे सव्यसाचिन:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! मूर्ख उत्तर एक साधारण कोटिका मनुष्य था और छट्मावेशधारी सव्यसाची अर्जुन असाधारण वीर थे। अतः उनके प्रभावको न जाननेके कारण वह मूर्खतावश उनके पास रहकर भी उन्हींके देखते-देखते यों विलाप करने लगा --
vaiśampāyana uvāca
avijāto vijātasya maukhar yād dhūrtastha paśyataḥ |
paridevayate mandaḥ sakāśe savyasācinaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Janamejaya! Uttara yang belum teruji itu, karena ocehan bodohnya, tak mengenali kebesaran sang mulia. Bahkan ketika berdiri di hadapan Arjuna—Savyasācī—yang cerdik dalam penyamaran, si dungu itu meratap di dekatnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical need for discernment and humility: ignorance of another’s true worth leads to rash speech and misplaced despair. One should not judge by appearances, especially when greatness is present in concealed form.
In the Virāṭa court context, Prince Uttara—unaware that his companion is actually Arjuna in disguise—begins lamenting and complaining in Arjuna’s very presence. Vaiśampāyana frames Uttara as immature and foolish for failing to recognize Arjuna’s extraordinary capability.