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Shloka 27

भीमस्य बल्लव-प्रतिज्ञा तथा अर्जुनस्य बृहन्नडा-रूप-निर्णयः

Bhīma’s Ballava Vow and Arjuna’s Decision to Become Bṛhannadā

पिनद्धकम्बु: पाणिभ्यां तृतीयां प्रकृतिं गत: । वेणीकृतशिरा राजन्‌ नाम्ना चैव बृहन्नला,मैं दोनों कानोंमें अग्निके समान कान्तिमान्‌ कुण्डल पहनकर हाथोंमें शंखकी चूड़ियाँ धारण कर लूँगा। इस प्रकार तीसरी प्रकृति (नपुंसकभाव)-को अपनाकर सिरपर चोटी गूँथ लूँगा और अपनेको बृहन्नला नामसे घोषित करूँगा

pinaddha-kambuḥ pāṇibhyāṁ tṛtīyāṁ prakṛtiṁ gataḥ | veṇī-kṛta-śirā rājan nāmnā caiva bṛhannalā ||

อรชุนกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระราชา ข้าจักสวมกำไลทำด้วยสังข์ที่มือทั้งสอง และจักรับสภาพธรรมชาติประการที่สาม (ภาวะขันที) แล้วถักผมเป็นเปีย ด้วยเหตุนี้ข้าจักเป็นที่รู้จักในนาม ‘พฤหันนลา’”

पिनद्धकम्बुःwearing/putting on conch(-like) bangles
पिनद्धकम्बुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपिनद्ध-कम्बु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पाणिभ्याम्on/with (both) hands
पाणिभ्याम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Dual
तृतीयाम्the third
तृतीयाम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootतृतीय
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
प्रकृतिम्nature/condition (here: third gender/neutral state)
प्रकृतिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्रकृति
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
गतःhaving gone/assumed
गतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
वेणीकृतशिराःwith hair/head made into a braid/topknot
वेणीकृतशिराः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवेणी-कृत-शिरस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
नाम्नाby name
नाम्ना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनामन्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
बृहन्नलाBṛhannalā (name)
बृहन्नला:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबृहन्नला
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular

अजुन उवाच

A
Arjuna (Ajuna)
K
King (rājan—addressed interlocutor, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira in context)
B
Bṛhannalā
C
conch-shell bangles (kambu/kambuḥ)

Educational Q&A

Dharma may require restraint and strategic concealment: Arjuna willingly adopts a socially vulnerable guise to uphold the collective vow and protect the larger righteous objective, showing mastery over ego and attachment to status.

Planning the Pāṇḍavas’ incognito year, Arjuna explains how he will disguise himself: wearing feminine-coded ornaments, braiding his hair, and taking the name Bṛhannalā so that he can live unrecognized in Virāṭa’s realm.