Shloka 17
मुद्गलोपाख्यानम् — व्रीहिद्रोणदानं, दुर्वाससः परीक्षा, स्वर्गगुणप्रश्नः
Mudgala Episode: Rice-measure Charity, Durvāsas’ Test, Inquiry on Heaven
स्थूणाकर्णन्द्रजालं च सौरं चापि तथार्जुन: । आग्नेयं चापि सौम्यं च ससर्ज कुरुनन्दन:,कुरुकुलका आनन्द बढ़ानेवाले अर्जुनने स्थूणाकर्ण, इन्द्रजाल, सौर, आग्नेय तथा सौम्य नामक दिव्यास्त्रोंका प्रयोग किया
sthūṇākarṇendrajālaṃ ca sauraṃ cāpi tathārjunaḥ | āgneyaṃ cāpi saumyaṃ ca sasarja kurunandanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Arjuna, the delight of the Kuru line, then unleashed a succession of divine missiles—named Sthūṇākarṇa, Indrajāla, Saura, Āgneya, and Saumya—displaying disciplined mastery of celestial weapons in the unfolding contest of power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined competence: extraordinary power (divine astras) is meaningful only when wielded with trained control and in alignment with kṣatriya responsibility, reminding that mastery implies restraint and accountability.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna releases multiple named celestial missiles in sequence—Sthūṇākarṇa, Indrajāla, Saura, Āgneya, and Saumya—indicating an escalation or demonstration of martial prowess within the episode’s conflict.