Shloka 20
निवातकवचवधः — Arjuna’s Neutralization of the Nivātakavacas
Vajra-astra deployment
पुरैवागमनादस्माद् वेदाहं त्वां धनंजय । अतः: पर त्वहं वै त्वां दर्शये भरतर्षभ,'भरतश्रेष्ठ धनंजय! यहाँ आनेसे पहले ही मुझे तुम्हारे विषयमें सब कुछ ज्ञात हो गया था। इसके बाद मैंने तुम्हें दर्शन दिया है
puraivāgamanād asmād vedāhaṃ tvāṃ dhanaṃjaya | ataḥ para tv ahaṃ vai tvāṃ darśaye bharatarṣabha ||
Arjuna said: “O Dhanañjaya, even before you arrived here I already knew all about you. Therefore, O bull among the Bharatas, only after that knowledge did I grant you my audience.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment and deliberate engagement: the speaker emphasizes prior knowledge and verification before granting personal audience, suggesting that encounters—especially with renowned figures—are approached with informed judgment rather than impulse.
In a direct address to Arjuna (called Dhanañjaya), the speaker states that Arjuna’s identity and circumstances were already known even before his arrival; only afterward does the speaker ‘show himself’—i.e., grant darśana/a meeting—while honoring Arjuna with the epithet ‘bharatarṣabha’.