Shloka 2
फेनवत्य: प्रकीर्णाश्व संहताश्न समुत्थिता: । ऊर्मयश्नात्र दृश्यन्ते वल्गन्त इव पर्वता:,अर्जुन बोले--राजन्! तदनन्तर मार्गमें जहाँ-तहाँ महर्षियोंके मुखसे अपनी स्तुति सुनते हुए मैंने जलके स्वामी समुद्रके पास पहुँचकर उसका निरीक्षण किया। वह देखनेमें अत्यन्त भयंकर था। उसका पानी कभी घटता-बढ़ता नहीं है। उसमें फेनसे मिली हुई पहाड़ोंके समान ऊँची-ऊँची लहरें उठकर नृत्य करती-सी दिखायी दे रही थीं। वे कभी इधर-उधर फैल जाती और कभी आपसमें टकरा जाती थीं
phenavatyāḥ prakīrṇāśva-saṃhatāś ca samutthitāḥ | ūrmayaś cātra dṛśyante valganta iva parvatāḥ ||
Arjuna said: “O King, thereafter, as I proceeded along the way—hearing my praises spoken here and there by the great seers—I reached the ocean, lord of waters, and surveyed it. It appeared exceedingly formidable. Its waters did not seem to ebb or swell; and there, foam-crested waves rose up, scattering and then surging together, visible like mountains leaping in motion.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cultivates a dharmic sensibility of humility and attentiveness: even a mighty hero like Arjuna approaches the vast ocean with careful observation and reverence. The imagery of waves like mountains underscores the ethical mood of restraint—recognizing forces greater than oneself and acting with measured judgment rather than arrogance.
Arjuna narrates his onward travel: praised by sages along the route, he reaches the ocean and inspects it. He describes the sea as terrifying and immense, with foam-topped waves rising and moving like leaping mountains, sometimes spreading apart and sometimes coming together.