Shloka 58

और्वोपाख्यानम्

Aurva Episode: Restoration of Sight and Restraint of World-Destructive Anger

Devanagari script

अर्जुन उवाच त्वत्तोडस्त्रेण वृणोम्यश्वान्‌ संयोग: शाश्व॒तो<स्तु नौ । सखे तद्‌ ब्रूहि गन्धर्व युष्मभ्यो यद्‌ भयं भवेत्‌,अर्जुनने कहा--ठीक है, मैं यह अस्त्र-विद्या देकर तुमसे घोड़े ले लूँगा। हम दोनोंकी मैत्री सदा बनी रहे। सखे गन्धर्वराज! बताओ तो सही, तुमलोगोंसे हम मनुष्योंको क्यों भय प्राप्त होता है?

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca tvattoḍastreṇa vṛṇomy aśvān saṃyogaḥ śāśvato 'stu nau | sakhe tad brūhi gandharva yuṣmabhyo yad bhayaṃ bhavet |

Translation

อรชุนกล่าวว่า “ดีแล้ว ด้วยวิชาอาวุธที่ท่านมอบให้ ข้าจักรับม้าเหล่านั้นไว้ ขอให้ความผูกพันและมิตรภาพของเราดำรงนิรันดร์ สหายเอ๋ย โอ คันธรรพ จงบอกความจริงเถิด—สิ่งใดทำให้พวกท่านเกิดความหวาดหวั่นต่อพวกเรามนุษย์?”

Word by Word

{'arjuna uvāca''Arjuna said', 'tvattaḍa-astreṇa (tvattodastreṇa)': 'by the weapon/missile connected with your striking

by the weapon-knowledge received from you (contextual sense)', 'vṛṇomi''I choose

I obtain', 'aśvān''horses', 'saṃyogaḥ': 'union

compact', 'śāśvataḥ''eternal

lasting', 'astu''let it be', 'nau': 'of us two

for the two of us', 'sakhe''O friend', 'tad': 'that

then', 'brūhi''tell (me)', 'gandharva': 'O Gandharva (celestial being)

here, the Gandharva-king', 'yuṣmabhyaḥ''to/for you (plural)', 'yat': 'which

what', 'bhayam''fear', 'bhavet': 'may arise

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Gandharva (Gandharva-king)

horses

astra (weapon/missile; weapon-knowledge)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical reciprocity and transparency in relationships: even amid power and martial exchange, Arjuna seeks a lasting friendship and asks directly about the source of fear, implying that trust requires honest disclosure and responsible use of strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna agrees to acquire the horses through the astra/weapon-knowledge involved in the encounter and proposes an enduring alliance with the Gandharva. He then questions the Gandharva about why Gandharvas feel fear from humans—probing the tension between celestial beings and mortals.