Mahabharata · 7.57.64–65
॥
Devanāgarī
सरो ऽमृतमयं दिव्यम् अभ्याशे शत्रुसूदनौ ॥
तत्र मे तद् धनुर् दिव्यं शरश् च निहितः पुरा ॥
येन देवारयः सर्वे मया युधि निपातिताः ॥
तत आनीयतां कृष्णौ सशरं धनुर् उत्तमम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
saro 'mṛtamayaṃ divyam abhyāśe śatrusūdanau ||
tatra me tad dhanur divyaṃ śaraś ca nihitaḥ purā ||
yena devārayaḥ sarve mayā yudhi nipātitāḥ ||
tata ānīyatāṃ kṛṣṇau saśaraṃ dhanur uttamam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सरः अमृतमयम् दिव्यम्saraḥ amṛtamayam divyama lake, [full] of nectar, divine; a lake of nectar, divine
अभ्याशे शत्रुसूदनौabhyāśe śatrusūdanaunearby, O slayers of enemies; nearby, O slayers of enemies
तत्र मे तत् धनुः दिव्यम्tatra me tat dhanuḥ divyamthere -- my that divine bow; there -- my divine bow
शरः च निहितः पुराśaraḥ ca nihitaḥ purāand arrow, placed of old; and arrow, placed of old
येन देवारयः सर्वेyena devārayaḥ sarveby which all the enemies of the gods; by which all the foes of the gods
मया युधि निपातिताःmayā yudhi nipātitāḥwere felled by me in battle; were felled by me in battle
ततः आनीयताम् कृष्णौtataḥ ānīyatām kṛṣṇaulet it be brought from there, O two Krishnas; bring it from there, O Krishnas
सशरम् धनुः उत्तमम्saśaram dhanuḥ uttamamthe finest bow with the arrow; the finest bow with the arrow
Translation
"There is nearby a divine lake, [full] of nectar, O slayers of enemies; there is my divine bow and arrow, placed of old, by which all the enemies of the gods were felled by me in battle. Let it be brought from there, O two Krishnas, the finest bow with the arrow."
Version
b96189bf1b2c · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Shiva does not hand over the weapon directly, but sends for it to a lake of nectar: "tata ānīyatām... saśaraṃ dhanuḥ". The gift requires also the labor of obtaining it. "Yena devārayaḥ sarve... nipātitāḥ", "by which all the enemies of the gods were felled" -- the weapon is consecrated by victory over evil. It is telling that Arjuna is addressed as "kṛṣṇau", "the two Krishnas": he too is called by that name, one with the Lord. The verse teaches that even a gift bestowed from above is received through effort: grace shows the path, but it is the devotee who must walk it; and the highest weapon is entrusted only to one who will strive for it.