Shloka 8
Karna’s Martial Boast and Challenge to Bībhatsu
Arjuna
पूजितं सुरमर्त्येषु बिभर्ति परमं वपु: । सुपार्श्व भीमसेनस्य जातरूपग्रहं धनु: । येन पार्थोडजयत् कृत्स्नां दिशं प्राचीं परंतप:,तथा दूसरा देवताओं और मनुष्योंमें पूजित उत्कृष्ट रूप धारण करनेवाला धनुष भीमसेनका है, जिसके दोनों किनारे बड़े सुन्दर हैं और मध्यभागमें सोना मढ़ा हुआ है। यह वही धनुष है, जिससे शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनने सम्पूर्ण प्राचीदिशापर विजय पायी थी
uttara uvāca |
pūjitaṃ suramartyeṣu bibharti paramaṃ vapuḥ |
supārśvaṃ bhīmasenasya jātarūpagrahaṃ dhanuḥ |
yena pārtho ’jayat kṛtsnāṃ diśaṃ prācīṃ parantapaḥ ||
Uttara nói: “Cây cung này, được tôn kính giữa chư thiên và loài người, mang dáng vẻ rực rỡ bậc nhất. Nó thuộc về Bhīmasena—hai cánh cung được chế tác mỹ lệ, còn chỗ nắm được bọc vàng. Chính với cây cung này, vị anh hùng thiêu đốt quân thù đã từng chinh phục trọn phương Đông.”
उत्तर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a warrior’s excellence is recognized through honored weapons and remembered victories. Ethically, it reflects kṣatriya values: prowess is not merely personal strength but a publicly accountable reputation grounded in past deeds and the symbols (weapons) that represent responsibility in battle.
Uttara identifies and praises a particular bow, describing its revered status and splendid craftsmanship (beautiful sides and a gold-covered grip). He associates it with renowned conquest—crediting Pārtha (Arjuna) with having subdued the eastern quarter using that bow—thereby underscoring the weapon’s fame and the hero’s past achievements.