Shloka 7
अर्जुनस्य इन्द्रकीलगमनम् तथा शक्रसाक्षात्कारः
Arjuna’s journey to Indrakīla and encounter with Indra
शूराणामपि पार्थानां हृदयानि चकम्पिरे । यद् यच्च कृतवानन्यत् पार्थस्तदखिलं वद,ब्रह्मन्! मैंने सुना है, कभी संग्राममें परास्त न होनेवाले, योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ अर्जुनने पूर्वकालमें भगवान् शंकरके साथ अत्यन्त अद्भुत, अनुपम और रोमांचकारी युद्ध किया था, जिसे सुनकर मनुष्योंमें श्रेष्ठ शूरवीर कुन्तीपुत्रोंके हृदयोंमें भी दैन्य, हर्ष और विस्मयके कारण कँपकँपी छा गयी थी। अर्जुनने और भी जो-जो कार्य किये हों, वे सब भी मुझे बताइये
Janamejaya uvāca | śūrāṇām api pārthānāṁ hṛdayāni cakampire | yad yat ca kṛtavān anyat pārthas tad akhilaṁ vada, brahman ||
Janamejaya said: Even the hearts of the Pārthas—heroes though they are—trembled. O Brahman, tell me in full whatever else that son of Pṛthā (Arjuna) accomplished. (For I have heard that in former times Arjuna, foremost among warriors and never defeated in battle, fought an astonishing, unparalleled, hair-raising combat with Lord Śaṅkara; on hearing of it, even the mighty sons of Kuntī were shaken by humility, exhilaration, and wonder.)
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverent inquiry and the proper reception of extraordinary deeds: even great heroes are moved by awe, and the listener seeks a complete account from a qualified teacher. It also frames Arjuna’s prowess as inseparable from encounters with the divine (Śaṅkara), suggesting that true greatness evokes humility and wonder rather than mere pride.
King Janamejaya asks the narrator to recount, in full, Arjuna’s other accomplishments. He refers to a famed earlier episode in which Arjuna fought a marvelous battle with Lord Śiva (Śaṅkara), a tale so astonishing that it made even the mighty Pāṇḍavas’ hearts tremble with mixed emotions.