अन्वग् एव ततः पार्थस् तम् अनुद्रुत्य केशवम् ॥
निजग्राह महाबाहुर् बाहुभ्यां परिगृह्य वै ॥
निगृह्यमाणः पार्थेन कृष्णो राजीवलोचनः ॥
जगाम चैनम् आदाय वेगेन पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
पार्थस् तु विष्टभ्य बलाच् चरणौ परवीरहा ॥
निजघ्राह हृषीकेशं कथं चिद् दशमे पदे ॥
तत एनम् उवाचार्तः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणम् ॥
निःश्वसन्तं यथा नागम् अर्जुनः परवीरहा ॥
निवर्तस्व महाबाहो नानृतं कर्तुम् अर्हसि ॥
यत् त्वया कथितं पूर्वं न योत्स्यामीति केशव ॥
मिथ्यावादीति लोकस् त्वां कथयिष्यति माधव ॥
ममैष भारः सर्वो हि हनिष्यामि यतव्रतम् ॥
शपे माधव सख्येन सत्येन सुकृतेन च ॥
अन्तं यथा गमिष्यामि शत्रूणां शत्रुकर्शन ॥
अद्यैव पश्य दुर्धर्षं पात्यमानं महाव्रतम् ॥
तारापतिम् इवापूर्णम् अन्तकाले यदृच्छया ॥
माधवस् तु वचः श्रुत्वा फल्गुनस्य महात्मनः ॥
नकिंचिद् उक्त्वा सक्रोध आरुरोह रथं पुनः ॥
anvag eva tataḥ pārthas tam anudrutya keśavam ||
nijagrāha mahābāhur bāhubhyāṃ parigṛhya vai ||
nigṛhyamāṇaḥ pārthena kṛṣṇo rājīvalocanaḥ ||
jagāma cainam ādāya vegena puruṣottamaḥ ||
pārthas tu viṣṭabhya balāc caraṇau paravīrahā ||
nijaghrāha hṛṣīkeśaṃ kathaṃ cid daśame pade ||
tata enam uvācārtaḥ krodhaparyākulekṣaṇam ||
niḥśvasantaṃ yathā nāgam arjunaḥ paravīrahā ||
nivartasva mahābāho nānṛtaṃ kartum arhasi ||
yat tvayā kathitaṃ pūrvaṃ na yotsyāmīti keśava ||
mithyāvādīti lokas tvāṃ kathayiṣyati mādhava ||
mamaiṣa bhāraḥ sarvo hi haniṣyāmi yatavratam ||
śape mādhava sakhyena satyena sukṛtena ca ||
antaṃ yathā gamiṣyāmi śatrūṇāṃ śatrukarśana ||
adyaiva paśya durdharṣaṃ pātyamānaṃ mahāvratam ||
tārāpatim ivāpūrṇam antakāle yadṛcchayā ||
mādhavas tu vacaḥ śrutvā phalgunasya mahātmanaḥ ||
nakiṃcid uktvā sakrodha āruroha rathaṃ punaḥ ||
At once, right behind him, the mighty-armed Partha caught up with Keshava and held him fast, seizing him with both arms. But the lotus-eyed Krishna, Purushottama, even held by Partha, went on swiftly, dragging him along. Then Partha, slayer of enemies, braced his feet with all his strength and somehow managed to stop Hrishikesha only at the tenth step. Then Arjuna, slayer of enemies, spoke to him in distress -- to one whose eyes were clouded with anger and who breathed heavily like a serpent: "Turn back, mighty-armed one. You must not break the word you spoke before, Keshava: 'I will not fight.' People will call you a liar, Madhava. This whole burden is mine: I will slay him whose vow is unbending. I swear, Madhava, by our friendship, by truth, and by righteous deeds, that I will bring the enemies to their end, O tormentor of foes. This very day, watch this unassailable one, great in his vow, fall like the waning moon at the fated hour." Having heard the words of the great-souled Phalguna, Madhava, saying nothing, still angry, mounted the chariot once more.
05ce2027b91c · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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Arjuna stops Krishna not because he understands dharma better, but because he takes up his own duty. He defends the truth of Krishna's word while pledging to fulfill what he himself must accomplish.