वैशंपायन उवाच
तथा व्यूढेष्व् अनीकेषु कौरवेयैर् महारथैः ॥
उपायाद् अर्जुनस् तूर्णं रथघोषेण नादयन् ॥
ददृशुस् ते ध्वजाग्रं वै शुश्रुवुश् च रथस्वनम् ॥
दोधूयमानस्य भृशं गाण्डीवस्य च निस्वनम् ॥
ततस् तत् सर्वम् आलोक्य द्रोणो वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
महारथम् अनुप्राप्तं दृष्ट्वा गाण्डीवधन्विनम् ॥
एतद् ध्वजाग्रं पार्थस्य दूरतः संप्रकाशते ॥
एष घोषः सजलदो रोरवीति च वानरः ॥
एष तिष्ठन् रथश्रेष्ठो रथे रथवरप्रणुत् ॥
उत्कर्षति धनुःश्रेष्ठं गाण्डीवम् अशनिस्वनम् ॥
इमौ हि बाणौ सहितौ पादयोर् मे व्यवस्थितौ ॥
अपरौ चाप्य् अतिक्रान्तौ कर्णौ संस्पृश्य मे शरौ ॥
निरुष्य हि वने वासं कृत्वा कर्मातिमानुषम् ॥
अभिवादयते पार्थः श्रोत्रे च परिपृच्छति ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tathā vyūḍheṣv anīkeṣu kauraveyair mahārathaiḥ ||
upāyād arjunas tūrṇaṃ rathaghoṣeṇa nādayan ||
dadṛśus te dhvajāgraṃ vai śuśruvuś ca rathasvanam ||
dodhūyamānasya bhṛśaṃ gāṇḍīvasya ca nisvanam ||
tatas tat sarvam ālokya droṇo vacanam abravīt ||
mahāratham anuprāptaṃ dṛṣṭvā gāṇḍīvadhanvinam ||
etad dhvajāgraṃ pārthasya dūrataḥ saṃprakāśate ||
eṣa ghoṣaḥ sajalado roravīti ca vānaraḥ ||
eṣa tiṣṭhan rathaśreṣṭho rathe rathavarapraṇut ||
utkarṣati dhanuḥśreṣṭhaṃ gāṇḍīvam aśanisvanam ||
imau hi bāṇau sahitau pādayor me vyavasthitau ||
aparau cāpy atikrāntau karṇau saṃspṛśya me śarau ||
niruṣya hi vane vāsaṃ kṛtvā karmātimānuṣam ||
abhivādayate pārthaḥ śrotre ca paripṛcchati ||
Vaishampayana said: "When the armies had been arrayed thus by the great charioteers of the Kauravas, Arjuna swiftly drove up, filling all with the roar of his chariot. They saw the tip of his banner and heard the rumble of his chariot, as well as the mighty sound of the Gandiva being drawn. Then, seeing that the great charioteer, the wielder of the Gandiva, had arrived, Drona said: 'There, the tip of Partha's banner shines from afar. There is that roar, like a rain-cloud, and the monkey roars. There he stands, the best of charioteers, on his finest chariot, praised by the finest charioteers, drawing the finest bow, the Gandiva, that sounds like a thunderbolt. These two arrows together rest at my feet, and two others, having grazed my ears, flew past. Having dwelt in the forest and performed a superhuman feat, Partha salutes me and asks after my hearing -- that is, after my well-being.'"
9b306f5d7e46 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:27:29 PM UTC
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Arjuna begins the battle with reverence for his teacher. Even when duty demands that he fight, the bond of respect must not be the first thing broken by an arrow.