Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.83.24
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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ābhāsam
—
the reflection
Ā + √bhās — to appear, to shine forth. Ābhāsa is also a Vedānta term for the apparent (as opposed to real) — Gauḍīya commentators are alive to the resonance: even Arjuna, working only from ābhāsa, could touch but not pierce; only Kṛṣṇa, who is the satya itself, can pierce.
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yattaḥ
—
taking careful aim
Past participle of √yat — to be intent, controlled. Arjuna is not careless here; he is yattaḥ — fully concentrated. The failure is not lack of effort but the Lord's reservation.
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na acchinat
—
he did not pierce
Na (not) + acchinat (cut, pierced). The verse's central negation. The very word that will be inverted in verse 25-26 (chittvā — having pierced) when Kṛṣṇa acts.
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paspṛśe
—
he touched
Perfect of √spṛś — to touch. Arjuna's arrow only touched. Gauḍīya note: the touch was real — Arjuna is a real bhakta — but the piercing is reserved for Bhagavān Himself.
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param
—
only
Param — 'only, merely'. The word that turns Arjuna's near-miss into a near-miss: he touched, but only touched. Even great souls' efforts can be 'only' — a single syllable that opens the door for Bhagavān to step through.
According to the explanation of Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, Arjuna was more expert a marksman than the other kings, but his physical strength was not adequate to the task of shooting it with perfect accuracy.
With great concentration Arjuna was able to detect the target in the reflection in the water (viskya), and carefully released his arrow. His arrow touched the fish but did not pierce it in the center. This was known because of the arrow mark on the side of the fish. Some say that he even though he was able to understand the location of the target, he cold not pierce it become he lacked the strength.
With great concentration (vi), constantly, Arjuna saw (īkṣya) the fish reflected in the water. He just touched the fish. The arrow touched the fish in one spot but not in the center. One could understand that the arrow touched the fish because there was a mark left by the arrow. Arjuna did this on purpose in order to spread the glories of the Lord.
With great concentration (vi), constantly, Arjuna saw (īkṣya) the fish reflected in the water. He just touched the fish. Knowing he was not capable, Arjuna did this in order to spread the glories of the Lord.
Arjuna — the same Arjuna who pierced Draupadī's fish — looked at the reflection, took careful aim, and grazed the fish. The arrow touched but did not pierce. The world's greatest archer's near-miss is the verse's most poignant beat: even the closest natural ally of Kṛṣṇa cannot do this work without Him. Pārtha's bow needs Pārtha-sārathi.
In the Mahābhārata's Ādi-parva, Arjuna disguised as a brāhmaṇa shot the revolving fish at Drupada's svayaṁvara by sighting only its reflection in oil below, and won Draupadī.
Here, the same Arjuna — confident, expert, victorious before — looks at Lakṣmaṇā's reflection, takes aim, shoots, and merely grazes. The text does not explain why; Gauḍīya commentators read it as the Lord's reservation of this particular svayaṁvara for Himself. Even Arjuna, the model bhakta-warrior, must step aside when Kṛṣṇa's own bride is the prize. The friendship deepens by yielding.
My note
Source: vedabase.io