Shloka 12
Puṣkara-Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Phala of Pilgrimage
Nārada–Yudhiṣṭhira; Pulastya–Bhīṣma Transmission
योअर्र्जुनेनार्जुनस्तुल्यो द्विबाहुर्बहुबाहुना । तमृते पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ वन॑ न प्रतिभाति मे,'पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ] जो दो भुजावाले अर्जुन सहस्रबाहु अर्जुनके समान पराक्रमी हैं, उनके बिना यह वन मुझे अच्छा नहीं लगता
yo 'rjunena arjunas tulyo dvibāhur bahubāhunā | tam ṛte pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha vanaṁ na pratibhāti me ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Hỡi bậc ưu tú nhất trong dòng Pāṇḍava, khu rừng này chẳng làm ta vui lòng nếu vắng người ấy—Arjuna hai tay—đấng có dũng lực ngang với Arjuna nhiều tay (Sahasrabāhu).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how true excellence is recognized through comparison with legendary standards, and how the absence of a virtuous, capable companion can drain even a beautiful setting of its value—suggesting that character and fellowship shape one’s experience more than place.
Vaiśampāyana remarks that the forest feels joyless without Arjuna, praising him as a two-armed hero whose prowess matches that of the famed many-armed Sahasrabāhu Arjuna, thereby emphasizing Arjuna’s importance to the Pāṇḍavas during their forest life.