Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अर्जुनार्जुन पश्यास्मॉललोकपालान्‌ समागतान्‌ | दृष्टिं ते वितरामो5द्य भवानहति दर्शनम्‌,अर्जुन! हम सब लोकपाल यहाँ आये हुए हैं। तुम हमें देखो। हम तुम्हें दिव्य दृष्टि देते हैं। तुम हमारे दर्शनके अधिकारी हो। तुम महामना एवं महाबली पुरातन महर्षि नर हो। तात! ब्रह्माजीकी आज्ञासे तुमने मानव-शरीर ग्रहण किया है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | arjunārjuna paśyāsmāl lokapālān samāgatān | dṛṣṭiṃ te vitarāmo 'dya bhavān arhati darśanam | arjuna! vayaṃ sarve lokapālā iha āgatāḥ | tvaṃ asmān paśya | vayaṃ te divya-dṛṣṭiṃ dadmaḥ | tvaṃ asmākaṃ darśanasya adhikārī | tvaṃ mahāmanā mahābalī ca purātano maharṣiḥ naraḥ | tāta! brahmaṇo 'jñayā tvayā mānava-śarīraṃ gṛhītam |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“阿周那，阿周那——看吧，我们这些护世者（Lokapāla）已在此集会。今日我们赐你天眼，因为你堪当见我们。看吧：一切护世者都已到来。你有资格得此观见。你乃上古大圣仙那罗（Nara）——心志高贵，威力无双。孩子啊，奉梵天（Brahmā）之命，你取了人身。”

Word by Word

• {'arjuna': 'Arjuna (Pāṇḍava hero

• here addressed directly)', 'paśya': 'see, behold (imperative)', 'lokapālāḥ': 'world-guardians

• cosmic regents (often Indra, Yama, Varuṇa, Kubera, etc.)', 'samāgatān': 'assembled, come together', 'dṛṣṭim': 'sight, vision', 'vitarāmaḥ / vitarāmo': 'we bestow, we grant', 'adya': 'today, now', 'divya-dṛṣṭi': 'divine sight

• supernatural vision enabling perception of gods', 'arhati': 'is worthy, deserves', 'darśanam': 'seeing

• audience/vision of the divine', 'adhikārī': 'qualified person

• one entitled/fit', 'mahāmanā': 'great-souled, noble-minded', 'mahābalī': 'very strong, mighty', 'purātana': 'ancient, primordial', 'maharṣi': 'great seer', 'nara': 'Nara (primordial ṛṣi

• identified with Arjuna)', 'tāta': 'dear one

• affectionate address (lit. ‘father/son’ depending on context)', "brahmaṇo 'jñayā": 'by Brahmā’s command', 'mānava-śarīram': 'human body', 'gṛhītam': 'taken up, assumed'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Lokapālas (guardians of the worlds)
• Nara (maharṣi)
• Brahmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Divine experiences are not random favors but depend on adhikāra (fitness): Arjuna is declared worthy due to his ancient spiritual identity (Nara), strength, and nobility. The verse also frames cosmic authority—Brahmā’s command—as the basis for taking human form, linking heroism with a larger dharmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the Lokapālas have arrived and address Arjuna directly. They grant him divya-dṛṣṭi so he can behold them, affirming that he is the primordial seer Nara who has assumed a human body by Brahmā’s instruction.