arjuna brahmachari

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In continuation of my earlier mail quoting slOkams from srimadh

raamaayaNam sundhara kaaNDam stating raamaa a brahmachari, please see

here a portion from sri mahaa bhaaratham describing arjuna is a

brahmachari and that is why he could withdraw the brahmaasthram sent

by him.

 

This is in soupathika parvam the 10th parvam of mahaa bhaaratham, and

in 15th chapter. The link to site is www.sanskrit.gde.to . please

open the all documents list. In that you have links to `mahabharat'

and go thru the link and open the 10th parva and in that chapter 15.

Similarly for translation, type kisari mohan ganguli in google search

and you will get www.sacred-text.com link wherein you will find maha

bhaaratha translation in English. In that please open this parva and

chapter and read for yourself.

 

It is quite interesting to note Arjuna being described

as `brahmachari'.

 

dR^iShTvaiva narashArdUlastAvagnisamatejasau .

sa~njahAra shara.n divyaM tvaramANo dhana~njayaH .. 1..\\

 

uvAcha vadatA.n shreShThastAvR^iShI prA~njalistadA .

prayuktamastramastreNa shAmyatAmiti vai mayA .. 2..\\

 

sa.nhR^ite paramAstre.asminsarvAnasmAnasheShataH .

pApakarmA dhruva.n drauNiH pradhakShyatyastratejasA .. 3..\\

 

atra yaddhitamasmAka.n lokAnA.n chaiva sarvathA .

bhavantau devasa~NkAshau tathA sa.nhartumarhataH .. 4..\\

 

ityuktvA sa~njahArAstraM punareva dhana~njayaH .

sa.nhAro duShkarastasya devairapi hi sa.nyuge .. 5..\\

 

visR^iShTasya raNe tasya paramAstrasya sa~Ngrahe .

na shaktaH pANDavAdanyaH sAkShAdapi shatakratuH .. 6..\\

 

brahmatejo bhava.n taddhi visR^iShTamakR^itAtmanA .

na shakyamAvartayituM brahma chAri vratAdR^ite .. 7..\\

 

achIrNa brahmacharyo yaH sR^iShTvAvartayate punaH .

tadastra.n sAnubandhasya mUrdhAna.n tasya kR^intati .. 8..\\

 

brahma chArI vratI chApi duravApamavApya tat .

paramavyasanArto.api nArjuno.astra.n vyamu~nchata .. 9..\\

 

satya vratadharaH shUro brahma chArI cha pANDavaH .

guruvartI cha tenAstra.n sa~njahAra arjunaH punaH .. 10..\\

 

Ch 15 of soupathika parvam

 

Translation: Vaishampayana said, "At the very sight, O tiger among

men, of those 2 rishis [MGV adds here – they are vyaasa and

naaradhaa] possessed of splendour like that of fire, Dhananjaya

quickly resolved to withdraw his celestial shaft. Joining his hands,

he addressed those rishis, saying, `I used this weapon, saying, "Let

it neutralise the (enemy's) weapon!" If I withdraw this high weapon,

Drona's son of sinful deeds will then, without doubt, consume us all

with the energy of his weapon. Ye two are like gods! It behoveth you

to devise some means by which our welfare as also that of the 3

worlds may be secured!'

 

Having said these words Dhananjaya withdrew his weapon. The

withdrawal of that weapon by the gods themselves in battle is

exceedingly difficult. Not excepting the great Indra himself, there

was nobody save the son of Pandu, who was capable of withdrawing that

high weapon after it had once been let off. That weapon was born of

Brahma's energy. No person of uncleansed soul can bring it back after

it is once let off. Only one that leads the life of a brahmacari can

do it. If one who has not practised the vow of brahmacarya seeks to

bring it back after having shot it, it strikes off his own head and

destroys him with all his equipments. Arjuna was a brahmacari and an

observer of vows. Having obtained that almost unobtainable weapon, he

had never used it even when plunged into situations of the greatest

danger. Observant of the vow of truth, possessed of great heroism,

leading the life of a brahmacari, the son of Pandu was submissive and

obedient to all his superiors. It was for this that he succeeded in

withdrawing his weapon."

 

Is it not surprising?

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g