Shloka 8
Saṃśaptaka-Varūthinī Saṅgrāma — Binding and Counter-Binding (संशप्तक-वरूथिनी-संग्रामः)
न चेत् तदभिमन्येत पुरुषो<र्जुनदर्शिवान्,ऋषदध्या गुणै: सुदान्तांश्व॒ धुर्यवाहान् सुशिक्षितान् । “अर्जुनको दिखानेवाला पुरुष यदि उसे भी पूरा न समझे तो मैं उसे सौ हाथी, सौ गाँव, पक्के सोनेके बने हुए सौ रथ तथा दस हजार अच्छे घोड़े भी दूँगा। वे घोड़े हृष्ट-पुष्ट, गुणवान, विनीत, सुशिक्षित तथा रथका भार वहन करनेमें समर्थ होंगे
na cet tad abhimanyeta puruṣo 'rjunadarśivān, ṛṣadadhyā guṇaiḥ sudāntān aśvān dhuryavāhān suśikṣitān |
सञ्जय उवाच— न चेत् स पुरुषोऽर्जुनदर्शी तदपि नाभिमन्येत, तर्ह्यहं तस्मै शतं नागान् शतं ग्रामान् पक्कसुवर्णनिर्मितान् शतं रथान् च दास्यामि, दशसहस्राणि चाश्वान् भद्रान्। तेऽश्वा हृष्टपुष्टा गुणवन्तः सुदान्ताः सुशिक्षिताः धुर्यवाहाः रथभारवहने समर्था भविष्यन्ति।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the ethical force of credible witness and clear discernment: Arjuna’s capability is presented as so evident that refusing to acknowledge it is portrayed as a lapse in judgment, and the lavish offer serves as a rhetorical device to reinforce truthfulness and accountability in speech during wartime.
Sañjaya reports a statement that challenges anyone who, despite having seen Arjuna, still does not accept the evident reality of his prowess; the speaker heightens the point by offering extravagant rewards—elephants, villages, golden chariots, and many well-trained horses—thereby dramatizing how undeniable Arjuna’s strength is considered in the Karṇa Parva war setting.