Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पूर्वर्षिरमितात्मा त्वं नरो नाम महाबल: । नियोगाद्‌ ब्रह्मणस्तात मर्त्यतां समुपागत:,अर्जुन! हम सब लोकपाल यहाँ आये हुए हैं। तुम हमें देखो। हम तुम्हें दिव्य दृष्टि देते हैं। तुम हमारे दर्शनके अधिकारी हो। तुम महामना एवं महाबली पुरातन महर्षि नर हो। तात! ब्रह्माजीकी आज्ञासे तुमने मानव-शरीर ग्रहण किया है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pūrvarṣir amitātmā tvaṃ naro nāma mahābalaḥ |

niyogād brahmaṇas tāta martyatāṃ samupāgataḥ ||

arjuna! vayaṃ sarve lokapālā iha āgatāḥ | tvaṃ asmān paśya | vayaṃ tubhyaṃ divya-dṛṣṭiṃ dadmaḥ | tvaṃ asmākaṃ darśanasya adhikārī asi | tvaṃ mahāmanā evaṃ mahābalī purātana-maharṣiḥ naraḥ | tāta! brahmaṇo 'jñayā tvayā mānava-śarīraṃ gṛhītam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “You are the ancient seer, of boundless spirit—Nara by name, mighty in strength. By Brahmā’s commission, dear one, you have entered the state of mortality. Arjuna, all of us guardians of the worlds have come here. Behold us. We grant you divine sight; you are worthy to receive our vision. You are the great-souled, great-powered primordial sage Nara. By Brahmā’s command you have assumed a human body.”

Word by Word

• {'pūrvarṣiḥ': 'an ancient/primeval seer', 'amitātmā': 'of immeasurable spirit

• of boundless self-mastery', 'naraḥ (Nara)': 'Nara (a primordial sage

• also ‘man’ in general, but here a proper name)', 'mahābalaḥ': 'very strong

• of great power', 'niyogāt': 'by appointment/commission

• by injunction', 'brahmaṇaḥ': 'of Brahmā (the creator-god)', 'tāta': 'dear one

• child (a term of address)', 'martyatām': 'mortality

• the condition of being human/mortal', 'samupāgataḥ': 'has attained/entered

• has come to', 'lokapālāḥ': 'world-guardians

• protectors of the quarters (Dikpālas)', 'divya-dṛṣṭiḥ': 'divine sight

• supernatural vision', 'darśana': 'vision

• sacred seeing', 'adhikārī': 'qualified

• fit recipient', 'mahāmanāḥ': 'great-souled

• noble-minded', 'purātana': 'ancient

• primordial', 'maharṣiḥ': 'great seer', 'ājñā': 'command

• order', 'mānava-śarīram': 'human body', 'gṛhītam': 'assumed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Nara
• Brahmā
• Lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames Arjuna not merely as a warrior but as the primordial sage Nara who has taken on human mortality by Brahmā’s command. It emphasizes adhikāra (spiritual qualification): divine vision is granted when one is fit, and worldly identity can be a chosen role within a larger cosmic purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

The guardians of the worlds arrive and reveal themselves to Arjuna, granting him divine sight so he can behold them. They address him as the ancient sage Nara, explaining that he has assumed a human body due to Brahmā’s commission.