FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.89.41

धिगर्जुनं मृषावादं धिगात्मश्लाघिनो धनु: । दैवोपसृष्टं यो मौढ्यादानिनीषति दुर्मति: ॥ ४१ ॥
dhig arjunaṁ mṛṣā-vādaṁ
[dhig arjunam mrishaa-vaadam]
dhig ātma-ślāghino dhanuḥ
[dhig aatma-shlaaghino dhanuh]
daivopasṛṣṭaṁ yo mauḍhyād
[daivopasrishtam yo maudhyaad]
āninīṣati durmatiḥ
[aanineeshati durmatih]
dhik — damnation arjunam — on Arjuna mṛṣā — false vādam — whose speech dhik — damnation ātma — of himself ślāghinaḥ — of the glorifier dhanuḥ — on the bow daiva — by fate upasṛṣṭam — taken yaḥ — who mauḍhyāt — out of delusion āninīṣati — intends to bring back durmatiḥ — unintelligent .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dhig arjunaṁ mṛṣā-vādaṁ
dhik
damnation
arjunam
on Arjuna
mṛṣā
false
vādam
whose speech
dhig ātma-ślāghino dhanuḥ
dhik
damnation
ātma
of himself
ślāghinaḥ
of the glorifier
dhanuḥ
on the bow
daivopasṛṣṭaṁ yo mauḍhyād
daiva
by fate
upasṛṣṭam
taken
yaḥ
who
āninīṣati durmatiḥ
mauḍhyāt
out of delusion
āninīṣati
intends to bring back
durmatiḥ
unintelligent .
  • dhik — fie! shame!
    Indeclinable particle of contempt. Repeated three times in the verse — the maximum śāstric expression of disgust. The Bhāgavatam allows full venting because the moment requires it.
  • ātma-ślāghinaḥ — of the self-praiser
    Compound: ātma (self) + ślāgha (boasting). The pejorative for the proud. Gauḍīyas note that the chapter is performing a public surgery on Arjuna's ātma-ślāgha so that verse 62's correction can be unforced.
  • daiva-upasṛṣṭam — that which has been taken away by destiny
    Compound: daiva (fate) + upasṛṣṭa (drawn off). The brāhmaṇa attributes the loss to daiva — an attribution the chapter will overrule by revealing the agent is not daiva but Bhagavān Himself.
  • mauḍhyāt — out of foolishness
    Ablative of mūḍhya. The brāhmaṇa's diagnosis of Arjuna's promise. The Bhāgavatam will recover the word in a higher register: Arjuna's 'foolishness' was forgetting that his strength is Kṛṣṇa's.
“To hell with that liar Arjuna! To hell with that braggart’s bow! He is so foolish that he has deluded himself into thinking he can bring back a person whom destiny has taken away.”
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
"To hell with that liar Arjuna! To hell with that braggart's bow! He is so foolish that he has deluded himself into thinking he can bring back a person whom destiny has taken away."
Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He foolishly thought he could bring back a person who was killed by prārabdha-karma or the will of the Lord. Not only was he foolish but had bad intelligence since he claimed he was better than Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

He curses Arjuna’s attempts, since they were unsuccessful. Arjuna made false statements, because he could not protect the child. Arjuna, boasting, foolishly thought he could bring back a person who was killed by prārabdha-karma or the will of the Lord. Not only was he foolish but had bad intelligence since he claimed he was better than Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa.

Related values
Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Discriminative WisdomAbhaya (Fearlessness)Seva (Service / Selfless Action)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)
Related verses
Concepts
Karma
To hell with Arjuna and his bow! Anger in grief is unfair and accurate at the same time. The brāhmaṇa names Arjuna's vanity; sometimes the dying friend tells the cruelest truth.
Reflection Questions
  • What unfair-but-accurate critique have I received in someone's grief?
  • Where could I listen for truth inside someone's unfair anger toward me?

The insults intensify — 'To hell with Arjuna! To hell with his bow!' The Bhāgavatam preserves the harshness because the kṣatriya's honor must be visibly destroyed before it can be relocated. Arjuna's bow, which had been his identity in verse 32, is now being publicly cursed in Kṛṣṇa's presence.

📝 My note

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