Shloka 15
गान्धारी-प्रशमनम् — Pacification of Gāndhārī and Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel at Hāstinapura
त॑ तथा भस्मभूतं तु दृष्टवा पाण्डुसुता: प्रभो । अभवन् विस्मिता राजन्नर्जुनश्वेदमब्रवीत्,प्रभो! नरेश्वर! उस रथको भस्मीभूत हुआ देख समस्त पाण्डव आश्चर्यचकित हो उठे और अर्जुनने भी हाथ जोड़कर भगवान्के चरणोंमें बारंबार प्रणाम करके प्रेमपूर्वक पूछा --“गोविन्द! यह रथ अकस्मात् कैसे आगसे जल गया? भगवन्! यदुनन्दन! यह कैसी महान् आश्चवर्यकी बात हो गयी? महाबाहो! यदि आप सुनने-योग्य समझें तो इसका रहस्य मुझे बतावें'
sañjaya uvāca | taṁ tathā bhasmabhūtaṁ tu dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍusutāḥ prabho | abhavan vismitā rājann arjunaś cेदam abravīt |
Sañjaya said: O lord, when the sons of Pāṇḍu saw that chariot reduced to ashes, they were struck with amazement. Then Arjuna spoke (in reverence), seeking from Govinda the hidden cause of this sudden burning—an event that appeared as a great and wondrous mystery amid the aftermath of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights humility and reverent inquiry: even a great warrior like Arjuna responds to an incomprehensible event with devotion and a desire to understand the hidden causes (rahasya) behind extraordinary outcomes, suggesting that human perception is limited and deeper truths may lie beneath visible events.
After the war, Arjuna’s chariot is seen suddenly reduced to ashes. The Pāṇḍavas are astonished, and Sañjaya reports that Arjuna then speaks—seeking an explanation for how and why the chariot burned, treating it as a remarkable mystery.