Shloka 20
निवातकवचवधः — Arjuna’s Neutralization of the Nivātakavacas
Vajra-astra deployment
पुरैवागमनादस्माद् वेदाहं त्वां धनंजय । अतः: पर त्वहं वै त्वां दर्शये भरतर्षभ,'भरतश्रेष्ठ धनंजय! यहाँ आनेसे पहले ही मुझे तुम्हारे विषयमें सब कुछ ज्ञात हो गया था। इसके बाद मैंने तुम्हें दर्शन दिया है
puraivāgamanād asmād vedāhaṃ tvāṃ dhanaṃjaya | ataḥ para tv ahaṃ vai tvāṃ darśaye bharatarṣabha ||
“Hỡi Dhanañjaya, ngay từ trước khi ngươi đến đây ta đã biết tường tận về ngươi. Vì thế, hỡi bậc trượng phu kiệt xuất trong dòng Bhārata, chỉ sau khi đã thấu rõ như vậy ta mới ban cho ngươi được yết kiến ta.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment and deliberate engagement: the speaker emphasizes prior knowledge and verification before granting personal audience, suggesting that encounters—especially with renowned figures—are approached with informed judgment rather than impulse.
In a direct address to Arjuna (called Dhanañjaya), the speaker states that Arjuna’s identity and circumstances were already known even before his arrival; only afterward does the speaker ‘show himself’—i.e., grant darśana/a meeting—while honoring Arjuna with the epithet ‘bharatarṣabha’.