Mahabharata · 7.57.76–77
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्य मौर्वीं च मुष्टिं च स्थानं चालक्ष्य पाण्डवः ॥
श्रुत्वा मन्त्रं भवप्रोक्तं जग्राहाचिन्त्यविक्रमः ॥
सरस्य् एव च तं बाणं मुमोचातिबलः प्रभुः ॥
चकार च पुनर् वीरस् तस्मिन् सरसि तद् धनुः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tasya maurvīṃ ca muṣṭiṃ ca sthānaṃ cālakṣya pāṇḍavaḥ ||
śrutvā mantraṃ bhavaproktaṃ jagrāhācintyavikramaḥ ||
sarasy eva ca taṃ bāṇaṃ mumocātibalaḥ prabhuḥ ||
cakāra ca punar vīras tasmin sarasi tad dhanuḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्य मौर्वीम् च मुष्टिम् चtasya maurvīm ca muṣṭim cahis bowstring and grip; his bowstring and grip
स्थानम् च आलक्ष्य पाण्डवःsthānam ca ālakṣya pāṇḍavaḥand stance having noted, the Pandava; and stance having noted, the Pandava
श्रुत्वा मन्त्रम् भवप्रोक्तम्śrutvā mantram bhavaproktamhaving heard the mantra spoken by Bhava; having heard the mantra of Bhava
जग्राह अचिन्त्यविक्रमःjagrāha acintyavikramaḥmastered [it], he of inconceivable valor; mastered it, of inconceivable valor
सरसि एव च तम् बाणम्sarasi eva ca tam bāṇamand into the very lake that arrow; and into the very lake that arrow
मुमोच अतिबलः प्रभुःmumoca atibalaḥ prabhuḥreleased the exceedingly mighty lord; the exceedingly mighty lord released
चकार च पुनः वीरःcakāra ca punaḥ vīraḥand again placed the hero; and again the hero placed
तस्मिन् सरसि तत् धनुःtasmin sarasi tat dhanuḥinto that lake that bow; into that lake that bow
Translation
His bowstring, and grip, and stance having noted, the Pandava, having heard the mantra spoken by Bhava, mastered [it], he of inconceivable valor. And into the very lake that arrow the exceedingly mighty lord released; and again the hero placed into that lake that bow.
Version
5f1a2a3c7ca8 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Arjuna takes in everything at once: "maurvīṃ ca muṣṭiṃ ca sthānaṃ ca ālakṣya... mantraṃ... jagrāha" -- the bowstring, the grip, the stance, and the mantra. Outer skill and inner word together. It is telling that, having mastered them, he returns the bow and arrow to the lake: the gift is not claimed bodily, but received spiritually -- as knowledge and the right to invoke it. The verse teaches that the highest weapon is not a thing but a knowledge: having absorbed the form and the mantra, the devotee gains the power to invoke it at will; and so he returns what is visible, carrying away what is unseen -- the very knowledge that is now always with him.