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

Arjuna nói: “Được. Với tri thức về vũ khí (hay với mũi tên thần này) ta sẽ đổi lấy những con ngựa. Mong minh ước và tình bằng hữu giữa chúng ta được trường tồn. Bạn hiền, hỡi Gandharva, hãy nói thật cho ta biết—điều gì từ phía loài người khiến các ngươi phải sinh lòng sợ hãi?”

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)

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.