एवं ब्रुवन् महाराज महात्मा स महामतिः ॥
महेष्वासैर् वृतो राजन् महेष्वासो व्यवस्थितः ॥
ततो ऽन्तक इव क्रुद्धः सवज्र इव वासवः ॥
दण्डपाणिर् इवासह्यो मृत्युः कालेन चोदितः ॥
शूलपाणिर् इवाक्षोभ्यो वरुणः पाशवान् इव ॥
युगान्ताग्निर् इवार्चिष्मान् प्रधक्ष्यन् वै पुनः प्रजाः ॥
क्रोधामर्षबलोद्धूतो निवातकवचान्तकः ॥
जयो जेता स्थितः सत्ये पारयिष्यन् महाव्रतम् ॥
evaṃ bruvan mahārāja mahātmā sa mahāmatiḥ ||
maheṣvāsair vṛto rājan maheṣvāso vyavasthitaḥ ||
tato 'ntaka iva kruddhaḥ savajra iva vāsavaḥ ||
daṇḍapāṇir ivāsahyo mṛtyuḥ kālena coditaḥ ||
śūlapāṇir ivākṣobhyo varuṇaḥ pāśavān iva ||
yugāntāgnir ivārciṣmān pradhakṣyan vai punaḥ prajāḥ ||
krodhāmarṣabaloddhūto nivātakavacāntakaḥ ||
jayo jetā sthitaḥ satye pārayiṣyan mahāvratam ||
Thus speaking, O great king, that great-souled, wise one, surrounded by great archers, O king, the great archer stood. Then [Arjuna,] like wrathful Antaka, like Vasava with the vajra, unconquerable like [Yama] with staff in hand, like Death driven by Time; unshaken like the trident-bearer, like Varuna with the noose, radiant like the fire of the end of the age, ready once more to burn up creation; surging with wrath, impatience, and strength, destroyer of the Nivatakavachas, Jaya the victor, established in truth, ready to fulfill the great vow [, advanced].
4bb0b8565eea · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
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The chain of comparisons to the world's guardian lords — Antaka, Indra, Yama, Shiva, Varuna, the fire of pralaya — raises Arjuna to a cosmic power of retribution. But the core is "jayaḥ jetā sthitaḥ satye pārayiṣyan mahāvratam," "the victor, established in truth, ready to fulfill the great vow." It is significant that his dreadfulness is rooted not in fury but in fidelity to truth. The verse teaches that what is truly formidable is one who stands "in truth": might, hallowed by faithfulness to a vow and to truth, takes on the form of the very elements of retribution; and what is fearsome is not strength by itself, but strength established in dharma.