Shloka 20
Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians
Book 3, Chapter 42
ततोडर्जुनो हृष्टमना गज्जायामाप्लुत: शुचि: । जजाप जप्यं कौन्तेयो विधिवत् कुरुनन्दन:,तदनन्तर कुरुनन्दन कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनने प्रसन्नमनसे गंगामें स्नान किया और पवित्र हो विधिपूर्वक जपने-योग्य मन्त्रका जप किया
tato 'rjuno hṛṣṭamanā gaṅgāyām āplutaḥ śuciḥ | jajāpa japyaṃ kaunteyo vidhivat kurunandanaḥ ||
Kemudian Arjuna, dengan hati yang girang, mandi di Sungai Gaṅgā lalu menjadi suci. Sesudah itu, putera Kuntī—kebanggaan kaum Kuru—melaksanakan, menurut tertib upacara, japa: pengulangan mantra yang patut diulang.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that inner readiness for dharmic action is supported by disciplined purification and rule-guided devotion: a calm, joyful mind, bodily cleansing, and proper mantra-recitation (vidhivat japa) together cultivate steadiness and ethical clarity.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, pleased at heart, bathes in the Gaṅgā to become pure and then performs prescribed mantra-recitation in the proper ritual manner.