Shloka 30
बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्
Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement
अयं नीलाम्बुदश्यामो नरेष्वप्रतिमो<र्जुन: । शेते प्राकृतववद् भूमौ ततो दुःखतरं नु किम्,“मनुष्योंमें जिनकी कहीं समता नहीं है, वे नील मेघके समान श्याम कान्तिवाले अर्जुन आज प्राकृत जनोंकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर सो रहे हैं; इससे महान् दुःख और क्या हो सकता है
ayaṃ nīlāmbudaśyāmo nareṣv apratimo 'rjunaḥ | śete prākṛtavad bhūmau tato duḥkhataraṃ nu kim ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Arjuna —de tez escura como uma nuvem carregada de chuva, e sem igual entre os homens— agora jaz sobre a terra nua como uma pessoa comum. Que tristeza poderia ser maior do que esta?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of worldly status: even the greatest among humans can be brought low by circumstance. It evokes compassion and moral urgency by showing how suffering can overturn outward glory, prompting reflection on duty (dharma) and the proper response to another’s misfortune.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana points to Arjuna—renowned and peerless—now lying on the ground like an ordinary man. The image underscores a moment of intense distress and humiliation, emphasizing how extraordinary heroes can be reduced to helplessness, thereby intensifying the pathos of the situation.