युधिष्ठिर उवाच
यम् अग्निर् ब्राह्मणो भूत्वा समागच्छन् नृणां वरम् ॥
दिधक्षुः खाण्डवं दावं दाशार्हसहितं पुरा ॥
महाबलं महाबाहुम् अजितं कुरुनन्दनम् ॥
सो ऽयं किं कर्म कौन्तेयः करिष्यति धनंजयः ॥
यो ऽयम् आसाद्य तं दावं तर्पयाम् आस पावकम् ॥
विजित्यैकरथेनेन्द्रं हत्वा पन्नगराक्षसान् ॥
श्रेष्ठः प्रतियुधां नाम सो ऽर्जुनः किं करिष्यति ॥
सूर्यः प्रतपतां श्रेष्ठो द्विपदां ब्राह्मणो वरः ॥
आशीविषश् च सर्पाणाम् अग्निस् तेजस्विनां वरः ॥
आयुधानां वरो वर्जः ककुद्मी च गवां वरः ॥
ह्रदानाम् उदधिः श्रेष्ठः पर्जन्यो वर्षतां वरः ॥
धृतराष्ट्रश् च नागानां हस्तिष्व् ऐरावतो वरः ॥
पुत्रः प्रियाणाम् अधिको भार्या च सुहृदां वरा ॥
यथैतानि विशिष्टानि जात्यां जात्यां वृकोदर ॥
एवं युवा गुडाकेशः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥
सो ऽयम् इन्द्राद् अनवरो वासुदेवाच् च भारत ॥
गाण्डीवधन्वा श्वेताश्वो बीभत्सुः किं करिष्यति ॥
उषित्वा पञ्च वर्षाणि सहस्राक्षस्य वेश्मनि ॥
दिव्यान्य् अस्त्राण्य् अवाप्तानि देवरूपेण भास्वता ॥
यं मन्ये द्वादशं रुद्रम् आदित्यानां त्रयोदशम् ॥
यस्य बाहू समौ दीर्घौ ज्याघातकठिनत्वचौ ॥
दक्षिणे चैव सव्ये च गवाम् इव वहः कृतः ॥
हिमवान् इव शैलानां समुद्रः सरिताम् इव ॥
त्रिदशानां यथा शक्रो वसूनाम् इव हव्यवाट् ॥
मृगाणाम् इव शार्दूलो गरुडः पतताम् इव ॥
वरः संनह्यमानानाम् अर्जुनः किं करिष्यति ॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca
yam agnir brāhmaṇo bhūtvā samāgacchan nṛṇāṃ varam ||
didhakṣuḥ khāṇḍavaṃ dāvaṃ dāśārhasahitaṃ purā ||
mahābalaṃ mahābāhum ajitaṃ kurunandanam ||
so 'yaṃ kiṃ karma kaunteyaḥ kariṣyati dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
yo 'yam āsādya taṃ dāvaṃ tarpayām āsa pāvakam ||
vijityaikarathenendraṃ hatvā pannagarākṣasān ||
śreṣṭhaḥ pratiyudhāṃ nāma so 'rjunaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
sūryaḥ pratapatāṃ śreṣṭho dvipadāṃ brāhmaṇo varaḥ ||
āśīviṣaś ca sarpāṇām agnis tejasvināṃ varaḥ ||
āyudhānāṃ varo varjaḥ kakudmī ca gavāṃ varaḥ ||
hradānām udadhiḥ śreṣṭhaḥ parjanyo varṣatāṃ varaḥ ||
dhṛtarāṣṭraś ca nāgānāṃ hastiṣv airāvato varaḥ ||
putraḥ priyāṇām adhiko bhāryā ca suhṛdāṃ varā ||
yathaitāni viśiṣṭāni jātyāṃ jātyāṃ vṛkodara ||
evaṃ yuvā guḍākeśaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanuṣmatām ||
so 'yam indrād anavaro vāsudevāc ca bhārata ||
gāṇḍīvadhanvā śvetāśvo bībhatsuḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
uṣitvā pañca varṣāṇi sahasrākṣasya veśmani ||
divyāny astrāṇy avāptāni devarūpeṇa bhāsvatā ||
yaṃ manye dvādaśaṃ rudram ādityānāṃ trayodaśam ||
yasya bāhū samau dīrghau jyāghātakaṭhinatvacau ||
dakṣiṇe caiva savye ca gavām iva vahaḥ kṛtaḥ ||
himavān iva śailānāṃ samudraḥ saritām iva ||
tridaśānāṃ yathā śakro vasūnām iva havyavāṭ ||
mṛgāṇām iva śārdūlo garuḍaḥ patatām iva ||
varaḥ saṃnahyamānānām arjunaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati ||
Yudhishthira said: 'He to whom Agni once came in the form of a brahmin, wishing to burn the Khandava forest, together with Dasharha -- this Kaunteya Dhananjaya, mighty in strength, mighty-armed, the unconquered descendant of Kuru -- what deed will he do? He who reached that forest, satisfied Pavaka, conquered Indra with a single chariot, and slew serpents and rakshasas -- Arjuna, the best among those who oppose in battle, what will he do? As the sun is the best of those that blaze, the brahmin the best among the two-footed, the venomous serpent among snakes, fire among the radiant, the thunderbolt among weapons, the bull among cows, the ocean among bodies of water, the raincloud among those that pour down water, Dhritarashtra among nagas, Airavata among elephants, a son among the beloved, a wife among friends -- so the young Gudakesha is the best among all archers. He is not lesser than Indra and Vasudeva, o Bharata -- the bearer of Gandiva, the owner of white horses, Bibhatsu: what will he do? Having lived five years in the house of the thousand-eyed one, he obtained divine weapons and shone with a divine form. I consider him the twelfth Rudra and the thirteenth among the Adityas; his two long arms, right and left, are roughened from the blow of the bowstring, like a yoke upon oxen. As Himavan is the best among mountains, the ocean among rivers, Shakra among the gods, Havyavat among the Vasus, the tiger among beasts, and Garuda among birds, so Arjuna is the best among those who take up arms. What, then, will he do?'
a174f4ccef66 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:58:59 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The praise of Arjuna sounds like a difficulty: the greater the gift, the harder it is to hide. The great warrior must conceal not only his weapons but the very radiance of his own nature.