Shloka 17
Nara-Nārāyaṇa Precedent and Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna; Karṇa’s Reply
एष देवान् सहेन्द्रेण जित्वा परपुरञ्जय: । अतर्पयन्महाबाहुरर्जुनो जातवेदसम्,शत्रुओंके नगरपर विजय पानेवाले इन महाबाहु अर्जुनने खाण्डवदाहके समय इन्द्रसहित समस्त देवताओंको जीतकर अग्निदेवको पूर्णतः तृप्त किया था
vaiśampāyana uvāca | eṣa devān sahendreṇa jitvā parapurañjayaḥ | atarpayan mahābāhur arjuno jātavedasam |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Arjuna yang berlengan perkasa—penakluk kota musuh—pernah menewaskan para dewa bersama Indra, lalu memuaskan sepenuhnya Agni (Jātavedas) pada saat pembakaran hutan Khāṇḍava.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a famous precedent—Arjuna aiding Agni in the Khāṇḍava burning—to underline Arjuna’s exceptional capacity and resolve. Ethically, it highlights a Mahābhārata tension: even a righteous hero may clash with divine powers when fulfilling a larger purpose, so strength must be guided by discernment about ends and consequences.
Vaiśampāyana recalls Arjuna’s earlier deed: during the Khāṇḍava episode, Arjuna supported Agni’s desire to consume the forest and resisted Indra and other gods who tried to prevent it, thereby ‘satisfying’ Agni completely. This recollection functions as praise and as evidence of Arjuna’s prowess in the present Udyoga Parva context.