Shloka 26

Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial

Devanagari script

आत्मना च महाबाहुरेकपादस्थितो5 भवत्‌ । उग्रं स तप आस्थाय परमेण समाधिना

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ātmanā ca mahābāhur ekapāda-sthito 'bhavat | ugraṃ sa tapa āsthāya parameṇa samādhinā | tataḥ tu kālena mahatā vāsavaḥ pratyapadyata |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Pāṇḍu yang berlengan perkasa menguasai dirinya lalu berdiri dengan sebelah kaki. Dengan samādhi yang tertinggi, baginda menempuh tapa yang keras dan bertahan lama; dan pada waktunya Vāsava (Indra) berkenan kepadanya lalu mendekat.

Word by Word

• आत्मना: by himself / with his own self
• आत्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed one
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एकपादस्थितः: standing on one foot
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकपादस्थित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became / stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उग्रम्: fierce, severe
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उग्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having undertaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• परमेण: with the highest / supreme
• परमेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• समाधिना: with concentration / trance
• समाधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्: that (then/thereafter)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कालेन: with time / after a time
• कालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great, long (in extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वासवः: Vāsava (Indra)
• वासवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रत्यपद्यत: approached / came near
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-आ-√पद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍu
• Vāsava (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that spiritual aims are pursued through disciplined self-mastery (ātmanā), severe but focused austerity (ugraṃ tapaḥ), and unwavering concentration (parameṇa samādhinā). Divine response is portrayed as arising after sustained ethical effort and inner restraint rather than impulsive desire or coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Pāṇḍu undertakes intense ascetic practice, standing on one foot in deep concentration for a long time. After this prolonged tapas, Indra (Vāsava) becomes pleased and approaches him, setting up Indra’s forthcoming speech and the next narrative development.