Shloka 22
Brahmaṇānāṃ Yācanā—Tīrtha-yātrā-prastāvaḥ
The Brahmanas’ Petition and the Proposal of Pilgrimage
महेश्वरसुतप्रख्यमादित्यतनयं प्रभुम् । तथार्जुनमतिस्कन्दं सहजोल्बणपौरुषम्
maheśvarasuta-prakhyam āditya-tanayaṁ prabhum | tathārjunam ati-skandaṁ sahaja-ulbaṇa-pauruṣam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: He was like the son of Maheśvara, a mighty lord, and like the son of Āditya; and so too was Arjuna—surpassing even Skanda in prowess, endowed from birth with overwhelming manly valor. In this praise the narrative underscores heroic excellence as a divinely favored capacity, setting a moral frame in which extraordinary power is recognized as a responsibility rather than mere pride.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames exceptional martial power as something akin to divine archetypes (Skanda, the Sun’s son), implying that greatness is not merely personal achievement but a charged endowment that should be carried with restraint and dharmic responsibility.
Vaiśampāyana describes and praises Arjuna’s innate, formidable valor by comparing him to renowned divine figures associated with power and warfare, heightening Arjuna’s stature within the ongoing account in the Vana Parva.