Shloka 7
तथापि बाणैनिहितं श्वो द्रष्टासि रणे मया । सत्येन च शपे कृष्ण तथैवायुधमालभे,मधुसूदन श्रीकृष्ण! यदि साध्य, रुद्र, वसु, अश्विनीकुमार, इन्द्रसहित मरुद्गण, विश्वेदेव, देवेश्वरगण, पितर, गन्धर्व, गरुड़, समुद्र, पर्वत, स्वर्ग, आकाश, यह पृथ्वी, दिशाएँ, दिक्पाल, गाँवों तथा जंगलोंमें निवास करनेवाले प्राणी और सम्पूर्ण चराचर जीव भी सिन्धुराज जयद्रथकी रक्षाके लिये उद्यत हो जायेँ तो भी मैं सत्यकी शपथ खाकर और अपना धनुष छूकर कहता हूँ कि कल युद्धमें आप मेरे बाणोंद्वारा जयद्रथको मारा गया देखेंगे
arjuna uvāca | tathāpi bāṇair nihitaṃ śvo draṣṭāsi raṇe mayā | satyena ca śape kṛṣṇa tathaivāyudham ālabhe |
Arjuna said: “Even so, you shall see tomorrow in battle that Jayadratha has been struck down by my arrows. By truth I swear, O Kṛṣṇa; and touching my weapon, I vow it so. Even if Rudras, Vasus, the Aśvin twins, Indra with the hosts of Maruts, the Viśvedevas, the companies of divine lords, the Pitṛs, Gandharvas, Garuḍa, the oceans, mountains, heaven, sky, this earth, the directions and their guardians, and all beings dwelling in villages and forests—indeed the entire moving and unmoving creation—rise up to protect the king of Sindhu, still, bound by my oath to truth and by this solemn vow, you will behold him slain by me tomorrow.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds satya (truth) as a binding moral force: Arjuna anchors his resolve in an oath to truth and a solemn vow-gesture (touching the weapon). It presents ethical steadfastness—keeping one’s pledged word—as integral to kṣatriya-dharma, even when opposed by overwhelming powers.
After Abhimanyu’s death and Jayadratha’s role in it, Arjuna declares before Kṛṣṇa that he will kill Jayadratha the next day. He swears by truth and by touching his weapon, asserting that even if gods and all beings unite to protect Jayadratha, Arjuna will still bring about his death in battle.