Shloka 173
मौसलपर्व — अध्याय ८
Arjuna’s evacuation of Dvārakā, Vasudeva’s rites, and the caravan’s crisis
यथा पुरा च मे वीर्य भुजयोर्न तथाभवत् । मैंने धनुष लेकर उनका सामना करना चाहा परंतु मैं उसे चढ़ा न सका। मेरी भुजाओंमें पहले-जैसा बल था वैसा अब नहीं रहा
yathā purā ca me vīryaṃ bhujayor na tathābhavat |
अर्जुन उवाच—यथा पुरा मम भुजयोर्वीर्यं तथेदानीं नाभवत्। धनुरादाय तान् प्रत्यभिमुखो भवितुमैच्छं, किन्तु तदपि न शक्नोम्यारोपयितुम्। यत् पूर्वं मम पराक्रमं धारयत् तत् तेजो बलं चापगतमिव।
अर्जुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heroic power is not merely physical; it depends on time, destiny, and divine favor. When that support withdraws, even the greatest warrior confronts limitation, underscoring impermanence and the working of dharma and karma after the war.
Arjuna reports that his former prowess has faded: when he tried to face opponents and lift his bow to fight, he could not even string it. This signals the waning of the Pandavas’ worldly power in the Mausala Parva’s aftermath.