Shloka 5
Uttara–Arjuna Saṃvāda and the Re-Arming of Gāṇḍīva
Virāṭa-parva, Adhyāya 40
ध्वजा: शराश्व शूराणां दिव्यानि कवचानि च | अत्र चैतन्महावीर्य धनु: पार्थस्य गाण्डिवम्,“उन शूरवीरोंके ध्वज, बाण और दिव्य कवच भी यहीं हैं। यहीं अर्जुनका वह महान् शक्तिशाली गाण्डीव धनुष भी है, जो अकेला ही एक लाख धनुषोंके समान है। यह राष्ट्रकी वृद्धि करनेवाला, परिश्रमको सहनेमें समर्थ और ताड़के समान अत्यन्त विशाल है
vaishampāyana uvāca |
dhvajāḥ śarāśvaśūrāṇāṃ divyāni kavacāni ca |
atra caitat mahāvīryaṃ dhanuḥ pārthasya gāṇḍīvam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Di sini ada panji-panji, anak panah, kuda, dan baju zirah ilahi para wira itu. Dan di sini juga ada busur Pārtha yang perkasa—Gāṇḍīva—termashyur kerana kekuatannya yang dahsyat.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma: rightful strength is supported by preparedness and responsibility. The mention of divine armour and Gāṇḍīva highlights that power should be wielded in service of dharma, not for vanity—martial resources are presented as instruments for restoring order when necessary.
Vaiśampāyana points out the stored martial equipment—standards, arrows, horses, and divine armours—and specifically identifies Arjuna’s famed bow Gāṇḍīva as being present there, signaling the availability (and impending retrieval) of the Pāṇḍavas’ weapons in the Virāṭa episode.