Shloka 17
Kurukṣetra-sainyadarśana and Arjuna-viṣāda (धर्मक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः — अर्जुनविषाद)
संजय उवाच ततः पार्थस्य विज्ञाय भक्ति मानववत्सला | अन्तरिक्षगतोवाच गोविन्दस्याग्रत: स्थिता
sañjaya uvāca tataḥ pārthasya vijñāya bhaktiṃ mānavavatsalā | antarīkṣagatovāca govindasyāgrataḥ sthitā ||
सञ्जय उवाच—ततः पार्थस्य भक्तिं विज्ञाय मानववत्सला माता दुर्गा अन्तरिक्षगता गोविन्दस्याग्रतः स्थिता, इदं वाक्यमुवाच।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights bhakti as an ethically transformative power: sincere devotion is portrayed as worthy of divine recognition, and compassion (mānavavatsalā) is presented as a divine attribute that responds to human sincerity even in a battlefield setting.
Sañjaya reports that after recognizing Arjuna’s devotional disposition, the goddess Durgā manifests in the sky, positions herself before Kṛṣṇa (Govinda), and begins to speak—introducing a moment of divine presence and guidance within the war narrative.