Shloka 41
Droṇa’s Conditional Boon: The Plan to Capture Yudhiṣṭhira (द्रोणेन युधिष्ठिरग्रहणोपायः)
न वेद कृष्णं दाशार्हमर्जुनं चैव पाण्डवम् । पूर्वदेवी महात्मानौ नरनारायणावुभौ
na veda kṛṣṇaṃ dāśārham arjunaṃ caiva pāṇḍavam | pūrvadevī mahātmānau naranārāyaṇāv ubhau ||
Vaiśampāyana said: She did not recognize Kṛṣṇa of the Dāśārha line, nor Arjuna the Pāṇḍava—those two great-souled ones who, in former times, were the divine pair Nara and Nārāyaṇa. The narration underscores how the same eternal righteousness can appear in new forms, and how ignorance of true identity can veil the presence of dharma even when it stands before one’s eyes.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that true spiritual stature and dharma may remain unrecognized when one is clouded by ignorance or circumstance; Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are presented as the timeless divine pair Nara–Nārāyaṇa appearing again, implying continuity of righteous purpose across ages.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that a divine lady (pūrvadevī) fails to recognize Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna in their present forms, though they are in essence the ancient divine duo Nara and Nārāyaṇa—an identification that elevates their role in the unfolding events of the war.