arjuna and lord shiva (in vana parva)

8/9/2019 Arjuna and Lord Shiva (in Vana Parva)

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Eashwar Thiagarajan 2011

Arjuna in battle with Lord Siva (disguised as a hunter) in sculpture at Mahabhalipuram, near Chennai, India.

Kiraata L eelamrutham- Lord Siva testing Arjunas valor and

devotion, in the form of a Kiraata (ahunter)

(This work is inspired from thenarrative found in the Vana Parva ofMahabharata)


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Contents Invocatory Slokas................................................................................................................ 3

Preface................................................................................................................................. 4

Short Introduction ............................................................................................................... 6

Prequel to ACT-1 ................................................................................................................ 7

ACT 1: Arjuna meets Indra on Indrakeela Mountains........................................................ 8

ACT 2: Memory of Shri Krishna ...................................................................................... 15

ACT 3: Arjunas Tapas ..................................................................................................... 18

ACT 4: Dur yodhanas evil plan ........................................................................................ 21

ACT 5: Mukas real intentions ......................................................................................... 24

ACT 6: Kiraata Arjuna Yuddham! ................................................................................ 26

ACT 7: Arjuna obtains Pasupata....................................................................................... 32

BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES................................................................................... 40

Appendix: Arjuna Kruta Siva stotram .............................................................................. 41

Appendix: Relevant sections from Vana Parva ................................................................ 43

1.1.1 Book 3 Chapter 38 ...................................................................................... 43

1.1.2 Book 3 Chapter 39 ...................................................................................... 48

1.1.3 Book 3 Chapter 40 ...................................................................................... 51

1.1.4 Book 3 Chapter 41 ...................................................................................... 56


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Invocatory Slokas

1. vyasam vashishta naphtaram sakte poutramakalmasham parasaratmajam vande sukhadatam taponidhim

"I salute the faultless Vyasa, of great spiritual wealth, the greatgrandson of Maharishi Vashishta, grandson of Rishi Sakthi, son ofRishi Parasara, and father of Rishi Sukha." - P.R. Ramachander

2. vyasaya vishnu rupaya vysa rupaya vishnavenamo vaibrahmanidhaye vashishtaya namo nama:

"I pray Vyasa, who is Vishnu rupa and Vishnu , who is Vyasa rupa, whois the descendant of Vasishta and who is the storehouse ofknowledge, leading to Brahman." - P.R. Ramachander

3. (At the beginning of Siva Sahasranama, in Anushasanika Parva Parva # 13)

Yudhishtra Uvacha:-

Thwayaapagheya naamani sruthaniha jagatpathe,Pithamahesaaya vibhor namanyaa chakshwa sambhave. 1Bhabhrave viswaroopaya, mahabhagyam cha thathwatha,Surasura gurou deve shankaravyaktha yonaye. 2

Yudhishtra asked:-Oh my dearest grandsire,Be pleased to tell me the various names,Of him who is the lord of the universe,Who is Shambhu with a gold coloured body,Whose form is of the universe,Who is the teacher of Asuras and devas,Who is the god of all devas,Who does all good,

And who is the cause of the eternal basis, And also his fame, As you have heard from others.

Bheeshma Uvacha:- Asakthoham gunaan vakthum maha devasya dheematha,Yo hi sarva gatho na cha sarvathra drusyathe. 3

Bheeshma replied:-Incapable I am to tell about the properties,

Of the great God who is very great,For he is seen everywhere but seen nowhere.

Brahma Vishnu suresaanaam srushtaa cha prabhureva cha,Brahmaadaya pisachaantha yam hi deva upasathe. 4

He is the one who created Brahma, Vishnu and other devas,He is their Lord and he is worshipped by,Brahma , devas, ghosts and others.

- P.R. Ramachander


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Preface

Before you read further, you need to know answers to two questions (1) for what has

this book been written? Who is the imaginary target audience? Typically answering thesequestions adopting a process of elimination is easier. By this, I mean - it is easy toexplain what this book is not meant to be or who should not be reading this book.

Nevertheless, I shall attempt at giving straight answers to the two questions I have posedmyself.

1. What has this book been written for?

a) To subject my mind to constant contemplation of Lord Sivas Leela, by the process of writing this book.

b) Highlight the sublime action-devotion- drama contained in this story of Arjunas battle/encounter with a hunter (Kiraata). This hunter happens to be God, who tookthis form to test Arjunas adherence to Dharma, his valor and devotion to LordSiva.

c) Provide a setting wherein a five or seven act stage play can be written

My love of Mahabharata and devotion to the Swarupa of Lord Siva, are two drivingcriterions. Since childhood Mahabharata and Ramayana have held sway over my mindand upbringing. So seeking and adoring Lord Siva in Ramayana and Mahabharata have

been one of my favorite pastimes. In the process, I encountered time and again thisepisode in Vana Parva of Mahabharata (Parva # 3 out of 18 Parvas in the epic) and felt astrong pull towards this particular leela.

While I always enjoyed Lords divine Leela, in testing Arjuna, I had not until few years back developed the desire to retell that portion of the story in my own way.

2. Who is the imaginary target audience?

Studying an epic is a process of opening our mind to the heart of the author of the epic.Shri Bhagvan Vyasa the great author of this ocean of an epic, called Mahabharata has

been venerated over eons, as the great Guru of this post Mahabharata Santhana Dharmatradition. A proof of a well made study of Mahabharata is the transformational impetuswe experience, as a result. We have to understand the Vyasa Hrudayam of Vyasasoriginal intent, behind its composition.

Even though it can be argued that knowing someones intention is next to impossible, letalone of Shri Vyasas. It cant be argued that adopting/getting influenced by the thought,word and deed, of the great souls like Bheeshma, Drona, Vidura, Krishna, Vyasa himselfand others, is an option open to us. But to make ourselves amenable to this influence, wehave to study this epic in depth and contemplate on its teachings.


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So to answer the question posed Students of Mahabharata or Students of VyasaHrudayam are the primary target audience of this story.


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Short Introduction

The ensuing story is inspired from the events told in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata.This Vana parva is the third among the eighteen parvas comprising the epic, composed

by Maharishi Vyasa. This particular story of Arjuna meeting Lord Siva disguised as a

hunter (Kiraata) has been a source of poetic joy and inspiration. This encounter of Arjunaand Lord Siva comprises only a small portion of the Vana Parva.

To a large extent my retelling is influenced by the original translations made by KisariMohan Ganguli and M.N.Dutt, respectively. These books and other sources of inspirationare provided in the Bibliography section. One epic that provided enthusiasm for thiseffort was Kiraata Arjuneeyam by ancient Kavi (poet) Bharavi. I came across this book,nearly 3 years after I finished writing the first draft. I was both surprised and elated atdiscovering Kiraata Arjuneeyam for two reasons:-

1) I now had a resource exclusively dedicated to retelling the same story that has

held my fascination since my childhood

2) I am not the only one enamored by the story. Even the great Kavi Bharavi too,was enamored by it !!

But my retelling is more influenced by the original translations of Mahabharata than byKiraata Arjuneeyam, of Bharavai. However I must admit I did feel reinvigorated by thediscovery of Kiraata Arjuneeyam, for reasons mentioned above.

Lord Siva appears several times in the Mahabharata orchestrating several key events. Butthey do not find mention in many of the abridged renditions of the Mahabharata. A

student with deep liking and study of Mahabharata would completely agree with mystatement. I identified as many as 30-40 main plot-catalyzing events in the epic, whichhappened with the direct intervention of Lord Siva. This Kiraata (i.e Hunter) Upa Parva(sub-section of the Parva), is one such example of Lord Siva appearing as a Kiraata(hunter) to test and later bless his dear devotee Arjuna with Pasupata astra. This particularepisode is among the more popular stories of Lord Siva in Mahabharata and has founditself into several abridged editions of the great epic, in all formats books, TV serial,movies etc.

Few things to note w.r.t the creative freedom I have exercised while writing thisdocument. I have crafted a story around Muka asura, which finds no place of mention in

any of the books I have come across . Also I artificially introduced a flash - back forArjuna, in ACT- 2, wherein he reminisenses about Shri Krishnas devotion to Lord Siva.Thus some of the ACTS in this published document like ACTS 2, 4, 5 are an outcome ofmy personal imagination, but I hope I have not violated the Dharmic and Spiritual intentof Bhagavan Vyasa, in the process. Also the original account of this Leela (KiraataUpaparva) is very brief but I have taken liberty expanded the narrative a bit more inACTs 6 and 7. I pray to Lord Vyasa to pardon all mistakes of mine and also bless mewith unwavering, deep devotion to Lord Siva.


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Prequel to ACT-1

The Pandavas had lost everything in the game of dice and are spending their life in exile,in the company of Vedic Brahmins, their priest Dhaumya and their wife Draupadi.Draupadi and Bhima are censuring Yudhishthira for his calm demeanor despite all the

wrong that has been done unto them. Draupadi chides her husband asking him if he haslost all confidence in their valor and strength. She asks him if Yudhishthira has forgottenhis duty to fight the evil doers, namely Kaurava cousins. Bhima invokes philosophicalarguments, to convince his elder brother that Artha (or wealth) is as important as Dharma(righteous living) if not more. So he exhorts his elder brother to go after the evil cousins,in battle and regain their kingdom and the lost glory. Both, Draupadi and Bhima havespoken their mind and revealed their anguish. In reply Yudhishthira explains his state ofmind. He tells them anger is not a useful option considering how weakened their battle

preparedness is. He is just as concerned as Bhima, about regaining their kingdom and punishing Duryodhana and his brothers. However he is worried about their inability towin the war, at the end of their exile. This is because the five Pandavas have to face not

just the vile Kaurava cousins but also great Bheeshma, their teacher Drona and powerfulKarna. Several other kings would side with Kauravas as well. Each of them, being anarmy unto themselves, equipped with astras, armies and skills that would rival even Indraand his Devas.

At this juncture, Maharishi Vyasa appears there. They all bow to him, in reverence.Vyasa, who knew the concerns of Yudhishthira, intended to dispel their worries. Vyasathen explained the need to acquire weapons of great consequence from Devas. So withthis intent, he pulled Yudhishthira aside and taught him Pratismriti (an ancient

powerful mantra), which Yudhishthira in turn taught Arjuna. This mantra has the powerto please the Devas and also make the initiate worthy of obtaining divine weapons. This

mantra also enhances the mental and physical abilities of the Sadhaka. After obtainingthis mantra from his elder brother, Arjuna was advised to leave the Kamyaka Vana andgo towards the mountains (Himalayas). Arjuna was blessed by all present. Equipped withthe yogic knowledge of Pratismriti, Arjuna travelled faster than most mortals can imagineand quickly reached the mountains, in less than a day. After crossing Gandhamadhana, hearrived at Indrakeela. This is where the ACT1 begins. The ACT1 starts off with thethoughts inside Arjunas head while he is heading to Indrakeela ranges. I took thecreative freedom to speculate on what goes on inside Arjuna s head as ACT1 unfolds.


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ACT 1: Arjuna meets Indra on Indrakeela Mountains

Stones, shrubs and trees on either side I am quietlymaking my way through the long winding path that led fromthe forests at lower altitudes to the Mountain range ofIndrakeela. On my shoulders I am bearing the Gandeeva andon my back is the inexhaustible quiver of arrows, both ofwhich were granted to me by the Lord of Fire Agni,several years ago. How vividly I remember those magicaldays! With Krishna by my side I had almost conquered thewhole world. I can t help but smile in nostalgia on thedays gone by . Days gone by

Thus thinking, walked Arjuna alone in the forest, up themountain slopes.

Arjuna s thought train then entered the grim station of hislife, when tragic events transpired in Hastinapura. Heavinga sigh , he continued talking to himself not all daysgone by are happy ones are they? How could I forget thatbase fellow Karna demeaning Panchali, with his foultoungue ? How could I ignore the misdemeanor of Duryodhana,Dushasana and Sakuni? How could I forget the numerousattempts on our life by those beasts - Kauravas,masquerading as men? How could I forget the injustice meted


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out to us brothers by our evil minded Uncle Dhiritarastra?Above all how could I forget the impotent silence I had towear at my elders behest , when my dear Panchali was nearlydisrobed in front of the Kuru assembly? Arjuna s angershot up sky high. He felt one of those intense rage riddenimpulses to destroy the whole world? Almost instantly theface of Krishna came to his minds eye Yet in the darkesthours shines the glimmer of hope . Hope divine! ShriKrishna, my friend, my support, my teacher, my soul. Had itnot been for his divine intervention that day? His mindtrailed off to that day when Draupadi with all hope lost,raised her hand in prayer to the Bhaktha Vatsala ShriKrishna and the Lord of Gopis obliged.

Having defeated asuras of bizarre kind, vanquished variouskings of the Bharatha and why even after having defeatedthe very Lord of all Devas in the battle of Khandava Vana,I, Arjuna like a coward, like an impotent eunuch, had to begive up the whole of our kingdom and take up exile, alongwith my brothers, each of them are like Indra himself.Brother Bhima is right; we should have destroyed the wholeof the Kuru assembly that eventful day!

Suddenly in the midst of his anger, the face of hisPitamaha, Shri Bheeshma comes to his mind. He halts hisanger and exclaims onto himself. But wait I can t thinkabout killing my own Grandsire Bheeshma or my belovedteacher Drona, each of whom have been showering their love,

kindness and providing support to us, all through ourlives. Yet even they did or rather could do nothing thatday when Draupadi was dragged by her hair to the Kuruassembly, at the behest of DuryodhanaAahPainPain

With these thoughts Arjuna the illustrious son of Kunti letout a roar of pain and anguish that reverberated throughout the forest grove at the foot hills of the Himalayas.Birds panicked and flew out of the nearby trees. Seeing thebird scatter out of thier safe dwelling, Arjuna felt sorryfor the birds. He reigned in his temper and mentally

apologized to them. He then got reminded of his elderbrother Yudhisthiras counsel & calmness. How well hiselder brother always conducts himself? Yudhishthira was afather figure to Arjuna and he kne w how the great ones Bheeshma, Vidura, Shri Krishna, Shri Vyasa and many othersheld Yudhishthira in great respect and love. Yudhishthirawas Dharma incarnate and calmness personified. Arjuna knewhow much more he had to learn from his elder brother.


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Arjuna was instructed by Yudhishthira, at Shri Vyasasadvice to approach the King of Gods Indra, his father,and secure from him the knowledge of various divineweapons, which would come to his aid, while fighting hisevil cousins. He was also told that a day will come when heshall avenge the injustice meted out to them. Arjuna had infact sworn that he shall slay that vile Karna. It was clearthat Bheeshma and Drona would fight on the side ofDuryodhana, despite their love for Pandavas. So it hadbecome necessary for Arjuna to obtain and master divineweapons, else to defeat the likes of Drona, Bheeshma andKarna in warfare, would be next to impossible.

It was almost sunset and Arjuna had to find some place torest and perform his evening prayers. With glacial rivuletsflowing on every side, Arjuna, the friend of the Godincarnate, Shri Krishna, performed his Sandhya Vandhana.His mind was agitated, so he couldnt properly enunciatehis Mantras. Yet with great super human will he focused hismind on the inner meaning of that jewel among mantras namely Gayathri.

For the first 15 times he chanted the mantra his mind wastrying its best to run back to the scene of crime in theKuru assembly, for the next 15 count the face of Yudhistrainstructing him on Dharma, Forgiveness, came to his mind,for the following 15 the assurance of Shri Krishna abouthow He (Krishna) will cause the earth to drink the blood of

the evil Kauravas came to his mind, slowly but steadily hismind was turning towards Shri Krishna. Arjuna soon lostcount of the number of times he chanted Gayathri and thushe continued his Japa, for a long stretch of time, under atree.

The very next day after his morning Nitya Karma, Arjunaproceed to scale the Indrakeela Mountains. Suddenly heheard a loud voice Stop!

Arjuna stopped and turned in the direction of the voice.

He saw a Brahmin ascetic of illustrious appearance, sittingunder a tree.

Who are you illustrious one? asked Arjuna.


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I am a simple Ascetic but who are you? Strange is yourattire and strange are the accompaniments pat came thereply.

What is strange about them?

Well you wear the robes of an ascetic but you carryweapons. Why so? Also your body despite being well chiseledwith athletic features does have a tint of softness to itas well softness indicative of a royal upbringing. Are youa prince or an ascetic? Who are you?

You have guessed correctly, O holy one. I am a prince bybirth but ascetic by the dictate s of fate When Arjunafinished his sentence he let lose a sigh, along with it.

The ascetic picked up the sense of sadness in Arjunasvoice and asked further Do I sense a regret at leading anascetic lifestyle? The knowledgeable ones extol asceticism.And which country are you hailing from and what is yourname?

No my lord I do not think being ascetic is a mistake as Iam very well aware of its merits. But the original reason,for which I have donned an ascetic robe, is on the accountof being banished from my kingdom along with my brothersand wife. My name is Arjuna, son of King Pandu and DeviKunti and I am from Indraprastha, near Hastinapura. My

elder brother, Yudishthira is the famous emperor, who hadonce performed Rajasuya Yagna

Oh excellent prince why bring your weapons with you if itsascetic life style you have adopted? There is no threat toyour life here

Arjuna replied Weapons are the life force of a Kshathriya.Despite being intent on reaping the benefits of asceticlifestyle I cannot give up something that is intrinsic tomy nature. Weapons are part of my nature an extension of

my physical self

Glad to hear you are true to your Kshatriya Dharma. Spokenlike a true warrior prince. But pray please tell me whatthe purpose of your current ascetic lifestyle is? Why areyou spending your time here in this forest? You mentionedabout your brothers but I do not see them here, where haveyou left them behind?


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My brothers and wife live several hundred miles south ofthis place. I had to leave them behind, because I wanted topractice austerities to please the King of Gods, Indra

Really! exclaimed the ascetic as if in surprise. That isindeed a surprise said he.

Why say so Oh Holy one ?

I know ascetics who aspire for Knowledge of Saguna Brahmanand practice austerity to please their chosen ideal likeVishnu or Siva or Brahma or Skanda or Devi or Ganesha orSurya but why Indra? I know of ascetics who aspire toNirguna Brahmanhood, dwell upon the inner meaning of theMahavakyas such as Tat-Tvam-Asi. But of what desire do youpursue Indra a place in heaven perhaps?

I aspire neither for heaven or T hat supreme Knowledge thattranscends all heavens. I only seek to redress theinjustice done to us in this life by getting equipped withcelestial weapons, by the grace of Indra Deva

What makes you think he shall give you those weapons?

I have been told by my virtuous mother that Indra is alsomy father. It was by virtue of his grace that my motherconceived of this mortal frame of mine. But it is NOT due

to that relation, will the Lord of Devas bless me withcelestial weapons. There is going to be a great war betweenforces of good and evil, in a few years time. At whichpoint, I would like to be equipped with divine astras andblessings of my father Indra, so that I can uphold Dharma,on this earth.

Dharma - It is a big word, with profound and variedmeaning. W hat do you know about Dharma? Tell me in brief

Dharma is that which sustains us you, me and this entire

creation. This Dharma is the instrument of action in God shands. It is to uphold Dharma that God incarnates from timeto time. As a Kshatriya prince wedded to ideals of truthand justice, I shall fight evil and uphold Dharma. Dharmais what is outlined in our holy scriptures. I hold words ofour preceptors, elders and God realized souls, as Dharma replied Arjuna with great confidence laced with humility inhis tone.


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The ascetic was impressed. Well spoken of princely youth.Your words, demeanor, knowledge and above all your humilityare impressive. You will certainly accomplish the task ofobtaining the speci al grace of your father, Indra said theascetic brahmana.

Arjuna now posed a question Oh noble one, in this forestfilled with various beasts and demons, you roam fearlessly.Who art thou really, O shining one ?

In that moment a bright light enveloped the frame of theascetic and in a trice the frame of the ascetic vanishedand in its stead stood a shining being decked withexquisite fabric and jewels and sporting a smilingcountenance. Arjuna immediately bowed down with devotionand affection, for it was Indra himself, who had come inthe form of a brahmana to test his son, Arjuna on hisresolve to uphold Dharma!

Indra said in a deep resounding voice Arjuna my dear son,I am verily pleased with you. Your resolute adherence toDharma is the reason why you shall always be dear to me andalso victorious in battle. Oh Vijaya, the reason of yourvisit to this forest land is not unknown to me. But to getthe weapons you seek you shall first have to seek theblessings of the Lord of the Universe of the form ofMahadeva. That great Lord of Uma, the Istha of Shri

Krishna, that Universal truth which the Vedantins call ParaBrahman, the Vaishnavites call Narayana and Sakthins callDivine Mother Shakthi. He is one and yet many. It is onlyby pleasing that Sadashiva; you shall obtain all that youseek

Arjuna meanwhile with great joy had fully prostrated beforehis father. Indra raised him and hugged him and kissed himon his forehead, just as he would have as if Arjuna was atoddler. Arjuna had last met this King of Devas in thebattle of Khandavaprastha, wherein he (Arjuna) and Shri

Krishna had routed the army of Devas, Nagas and Asuras. Butsince then so much had changed in Arjunas life. Now he wasan exiled prince, filled with scarring wounds of insultheaped on him by the evil Kauravas. Indra knew what painand anguish Arjuna nursed in his heart, even though hemight have temporarily forgotten them, upon meeting Indra.


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So in a bid to assuage Arjuna, Indra said Arjuna, it isknown throughout the three worlds that you Pandavas are theepitome of justice and with Shri Krishnas support in thefullness of time you shall triumph over all evil. But youshould also know my dear, that it is incumbent upon greatones such as yourself and your brothers to tread the pathof suffering, without sverwing from Dharma, so as to set agreat precedent to rest of the world. Brave as you are, OSavyasachin, brave the suffering and bring hope and joy tothis world. This is also your Dharma. Besides that youshall by the grace of the Great God of gods, Mahadeva,triumph over the evil Kauravas and establish a reign ofpeace and prosperity among the men of this mortal world.

Arjuna spoke My Lord how shall I who am an ordinarywarrior hope to gain sight of that great Isana the Supremesoul of this Universe, I who am given to anger, grief,doubt, lust and guilt behold Him, who is the Great Cause.How can I see him, whose limitlessness confounded evenBrahama and Vishnu, in the days gone by? The great asceticsof every era perform unmistakably intense austerities tobehold that Sankara and here I am without any sadhana.Would it be possible for me to behold him ? So sayingArjuna remained pensive and silent.

Indra smiled and replied Dear one, it is not on account ofyour self-exertion that you shall obtain the grace andvision of Lord Siva, nor on account of your lack of self-

exertion that you shall obtain his vision. It is by LordBhava s will that all comes to pass. This truth has takeneons for me to fathom and yet I cannot claim in allcertainty that I understand it completely. So dear Partha,forget all these doubts which will only slow you down inyour path of progress. Just do as you are told. PerformTapas not for the sake of its fruit but for the sake offollowing the dictum that something never comes out ofnothing . Put in your effort and surrender to Lord Bhava.Go my child, may your mind be at ease and dwell on theglories of Pasupathi


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ACT 2: Memory of Shri Krishna

Saying such Indra vanished, leaving a determined Arjunabehind to perform Tapas, with the only aim to adore LordSiva . Lord Siva said Arjuna to himself. He thought for a

second, as to how he should conduct his Tapas. One of hisold conversations with Shri Krishna came to his mind. Itwas several years ago, when both were teenagers. It wasspring and Yamuna was as refreshing as ever. Krishna andArjuna was playing in the water, throwing water at eachother.

Krishna was a live wire, always joking, playful and yetvery discerning and articulate. Arjuna always noticed thatif Krishna spoke, everyone around him would be spell bound.He had even seen how once great sage Parashurama wassilently listening to Krishnas speech in SandeepaniAshram, when Krishna was hardly fourteen. Even hisgrandsire (Bheeshma) and teacher (Drona) and uncle (Vidura)were very ardent listeners to Krishna. Infact his uncleVidura worships Krishna. Who was this Krishna? musedArjuna.

Some said he was a Divine Incarnation, some derided him bysaying he is nothing more than a cowherd, but whoever hemight be, he was Ar junas trusted friend, guide and ally.It was this Krishna who had once spoken to Arjuna aboutLord Siva. It was a Monday and Krishna used to fast inthose days on Mondays. Arjuna as ked Krishna why fasttoday ?

Oh no its just me; you can feel free to eat what you wantto

Well I am going to eat anyways, but that is not the point,why fast today? You always tell people fasting is notnecessary and that God would never like to see his kidssuffer pangs of hunger etc . yet you fast! How surprising?

Krishna replied Arjuna, God cant bear to see his kidssuffer pangs of hunger that is true. Yet at times I cant bear to feel any sense of separation from that gloriousTryambaka, the primeval one, so more out of love of theLord with blue throat, do I fast and pr ay all night

Pray all night! exclaimed Arjuna. My goodness, I neverknew you were awake all night. I thought you went to bed


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with the rest of us. But pray tell me one thing, what hasfasting to do with seeing Lord Siva. Can fasting grant youLord Siva s vision?

No action Arjuna however sublime cangrant infinite result such as God visionor realization. Since all actions byvirtue of being limited by thought, timeand space are finite and finite thingscan t produce infinite. God is infinite.So it is only proper that we act not withthe fruit of action impelling us but moreout of love and or a sense of duty. I feellove and also feel duty bound to worshipmy lord SadaSiva

Arjuna often used to wonder as to howKrishna who was about the same age as hiswould suddenly speak like a very elderlymature person. He would often noticeKrishna looking larger than usual and morebright than usual when he discussedphilosophical things. Was it only Arjunaor perhaps others also had the sameexperience with Krishna? Arjuna had heardwise words from his elder brother, hisgrandsire, uncle Vidura and teacher Drona,

but Krishna despite being his age seemed to be in the same

league as those wise people. Arj una was lost in thoughts Krishna spoke with a smile on his f ace Arjuna whathappened? Why wear that bemused look?

Oh No nothing Arjuna smiled. You never cease to amazeme Krishna. One moment you steal butter from the Gopis andspend the rest of the day hiding from all, especially auntYashodha and then there are moments when you speak likeGrandsire Bheeshma or Uncle Vidura. I dont understand yournature. Are you a simple boy like me or some old personlike Grandsire? asked Arjuna and burst out laughing.

Krishna too burst out laughing.

Krishna then said You do not have to understand me Arjunathat might not serve you any purpose, but surely enough youneed to understand your self

Understand myself?! quipped Arjuna, with a hint ofsurprise. But before Arjuna could say any further, Krishna


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hastily spoke Yes but then he paused & smiled a smilethat bewitches the three worlds and then finished hissentence ... there is time for that, so dont worry nowabout it. Now, coming back to my desire to fast for LordSiva . Ah Yes . Please continue.. ! exclaimed Arjuna.

Krishna continued Well I fast, I pray and I singdevotional songs or sit long hours, especially in the nightchanting the Lords 5 lettered mantra, not out of anyexpectation other than to spend time in loving constantremembrance of my Lord. The very performance of thoseactions is the very fulfillment of my desire. I do notdesire for anything other than pure love for the Lord

Arjuna pondered over Krishnas words and then said I alsopray to God and my mother takes us all to Lord Siva temple.Infact we all celebrate Pasupathi festival nearHastinapura. Yet your passion for loving Lord Siva seems torival my love for Archery

or brother Bhmas love for a hearty meal! said Krishna.

Both of them laughed.

The laughter of Shri Krishna ringed in Arjunas ears for afew moments and slowly the old memory receded into hismind s inner recess and Arjuna returned to the present,moment. He realized the best way to worship the Lord is to

strip ones worship of all desires for materialaccomplishment and fill it with thoughts of love and peace.He also decided to fast and chant Panchakshari, like hisbeloved Krishna always did and still does.


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ACT 3: Arjunas Tapas

With this Shanta Bhava Arjuna resolved to perform Tapas inconstant remembrance of the Lord of all Universes. TheFirst cause, the Ultimate reality underlying this manifestUniverse. He resolved to chant the Lords 5 letteredMantra, the primeval chant, which Lord Vishnu chanted inthe days of the yore. With Shri Krishna as his mental guideand Lord Indra as the catalyst Arjuna resolved to fastuntil he obtained the Lords vision.

Arjuna slept that night chanting the Lords mantra and inthe morning after completing his bath and Sandhya Vandhana,he hiked up to the higher altitudes. In expectancy ofArjunas arrival, the Devas and Kinnaras rained flowers onthe pathway and beautiful birds sung delightful melodies onthe pathway. Trees with delicious fruits hung their


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branches low so that this foremost among warriors wouldfind it easy to pluck some fruits and satiate his hunger.Ice cold creeks that contained high herbal content providedrefreshing cold water to quench the thirst of Arjuna.

After some time Arjuna found a place that was flat, under atree, where weather was neither too cold nor too warm,devoid of insects and other distractions. Without wastingany further time, he took water in his hands and took theSankalpa of Mahadeva Aradhana. The first few days werespent with great enthusiasm and little sleep. With greatdetermination to get rid of this earth from the evil weedsin the form of the Kauravas and to avenge for the insultand injustice handed to them, Arjuna the great warrior puthis mind to the task.

Slowly with passing days, his clothes was reduced totatters, he used all the energy he had in preserving hisTapas more than in pampering his body a mortal framesusceptible to death and decrepitude. With intense spiritof renunciation and single minded devotion to the Great God(Mahadeva), Arjuna spent days, weeks and months in deepcontemplation. His diet which initially comprised of fruitsat intervals of three nights, gradually reduced to just fewfruits and leaves, once in a fortnight. Later by the timethe fourth month came, Arjuna never even once lapsed fromhis constant contemplation of Lord Siva. He just subsistedon air alone.

With arms upraised and leaning upon nothing and standing onthe tips of his toes, he continued his austerities. Naturefrequently took care of him by giving him the occasionalbath and adorning his frame with flowers. Almost fourmonths elapsed this way.

When Arjuna had started his Tapas, it was a source of mildsurprise to the denizens of the forest and heaven, but veryquickly the intensity of his concentration evoked awe andsoon enough panic among them, for the heat of his tapas

took alarming proportions. Immediately the Rishis of theforest, Gandharvas and Devas of Heaven approached the GreatGod, who sat in meditation in the midst of peak Kailasa.

They said onto the God of gods This son of Kunti, possessed of great energy is engaged in the most difficultof ascetic austerities on the Himavat. Heated with hisasceticism, the earth is smoking all round, O God of gods.


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We do not know what his object is for which he is engagedin these austerities. He, however, is involuntarilybecoming responsible for cataclysmic forest fire. Preventhim Lord from doing any further damage, by presentingyourself in his presence !

Hearing these words of those pure souled Rishis of Himavat,the lord of all creatures, the husband of Uma, the objectof adoration of Shri Krishna said the following words , Itdoes not befit you to indulge in any grief on account ofPhalguna! Return all of you cheerfully to your abodes. Iknow the desire that is in Arjuna's heart. He neitherwishes for heaven, nor for prosperity, nor for long life.He has desire to establish Dharma on earth by vanquishingthe sons of Dhiritarastra. And I will accomplish, even,this day all that is desired by him.

When the Rishis heard what the Lord had to say they thoughttheir trials would immediately be over and Arjuna wasimmediately granted audience and also the boons to fulfillhis desires. But how easily they forgot that the Great Godwas known for his mischievous ways (Thiruvilayadal) to testhis votaries, just as he was also known to be easilypleased (Ashutosh). No matter how highly Arjuna was treatedby the Divine incarnation Lord Hari himself, he still hadto be tested for his skill and strength prior to beingconferred upon with the foremost of the celestial weapons,namely the Pasupata.

Perhaps with this reason in mind or perhaps to increaseArjunas fame in the three worlds or perhaps out of jest,the Lord of the universe, who creates as Brahma, &preserves as Vishnu and destroys as Rudra, took the form ofa Kiraata (Huntsman). Then the divine mother of theuniverse seeing the Lords plan unfold, became concernedfor the welfare of Arjuna, so willed herself into the formof a huntress and accompanied the Lord with variousdifferent Shakthis. They all reached the very area, whereArjuna was performing intense Tapas.


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ACT 4: Duryodhanas evil plan

Around the time when Arjuna left for the higher altitudesin the search of divine weapons, at Yudhistra insistence,Sakunis spies - some Danavas got a whiff of what was

happening. So they sent an Asura by the name Muka toDuryodhanas palace with the intent of pleasing the evilprince, by putting forth the idea of assassinating Arjuna,prior to his getting the divine weapons.

Duryodhana the evil prince was very seriously lost inthought It was then his uncle Shakuni came up to him

Suyodhana (once)Suyodhana (twice)Suyodhanaaaa ( Loudly for the third time)

Duryodhana woke up as it were with a jolt and looked up athis uncle. What happened? Why are you shouting?

How else can I get your attention?

What is going on? An Asura by the name Mukais here. He came into myroom in the middle of thenight and that too in aghastly form of a wildboar. My heart almost frozein fear but he immediatelychanged form into a humanlike being. He has beensent by our Danava friendsfrom the forests up in thenorth. He told me thatthey, the Danavas fearArjuna would soon go insearch of divine weaponsand if he succeeds in

getting them you wouldbecome vulnerable in thewar that shall occur at theend of Pandava s exileperiod


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Duryodhana looked intently at him, without even batting aneye lid. He said Okay so what are the Danavas thin kingthen ?

So to prevent Arjuna from accomplishing his mission, theyhave sent Mukasura here to secure your permission to killArjuna, when he is alone and unprotected in the forestland

Killing Arjuna is no joke uncle. Even the King of Gods andhis whole army were helpless again st him, dont youremember that ?

Yes that is true but that is only true in a proper warfarewhere rules of propriety are upheld. Also Arjuna is Indrasson, why would Indra kill Arjuna? Also that magicianKrishna was with Arjuna then. If Arjuna were to be attackedwhen he is asleep or if he is in meditation or bathing thatwould do the trick

HmmIt is definitely an interesting idea. Where is thatAsura ?

He is outside, waiting for your permission to enter

Okay bring him in

There is one more thing you need to know

What is that?

No body, I tell you no body should get even the faintestidea that you authorized this. So this matter should stayonly between the two of us, not even Dushasana nor yourfriend Karna. Is that clear? Dont consult with them

Why? I trust them both with my very life

Dushasana is young and easily excitable. His body language

would make Vidura suspect something is afoot andimmediately he shall shoot a salvo to warn Yudhishthi ra

Oka y what about Karna? He is calmness personified

Karna is a warrior just as you Duryodhana and he willnever allow for cheating, in warfare. Moreover he wants tokill Arjuna in a battlefield himself. So he will never


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approve of your action and you out of your love andobligation to him, shall never proceed with this idea. Solet us act immediately without talking to either of them.Is that clear? You have to authorize this hit, now!

Duryodhana drew a heavy breath. He never hid any fact fromKarna. Yet ti me was at a high premium and Uncle Shakunislogic was sound, so he chose to accept his uncles words.

Okay show him in

Muka entered the room and saw Duryodhana. He said HailKing Duryodhana, whom the Danavas all over the world lookup to as their last hope

Welcome dear friend, dont call me King, and just addressme as your friend. So saying, he hugged Muka.

Muka spoke My Lord I would like to do your bidding. Removethe thorn that is in your way, to world domination KillArjuna

Sure , my friend. Please do as your say. But let me warnyou he is no ordinary mortal. He is son of Indra andperhaps the second best archer in the world, after myfriend Karna, so it shall not be as easy task

Yes my lord I know of his exploits, yet I shall kill him

when he least ex pects it or is prepared for it.

Is there anything else you would like to know or hear? said Duryodhana, with growing impatience in his voice.

None , my lord. Just wait for the good news

I am already waiting Muka Said Duryo dhana with a tonethat was as grave as anything Muka had ever heard. In factDuryodhana gave him a chill down his spine, with his lastsentence . Verily this Duryodhana is a Danava among men,

thought Muka and sped away from the evil princes palace.


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ACT 5: Mukas real intentions

For several months in anticipation of Arjunas visit to theHimavat forest Muka was waiting and indulging in variousexercises, both physical and mental. Then one day after

several months of waiting, Muka noticed the frail frame ofArjuna wasted in months of Tapas. It was only when he wasvery sure that Arjuna was deep in Tapas, after few monthsof meditation, did Muka choose his opportune moment toattack.

He took his dreadful form of a wild boar with tusks aslarge as an elephants. Muka closed his eyes in silentprayer to his Istha Lord Siva. Despite his evil ways anddeeds, Muka always was a votary of Lord Siva.

Infact prior to his departure from the Danava Loka his wifehas asked him, to abandon his evil ways and he had told herin return My dear this Danava society and the likes ofDuryodhana among men, always abandon the path of Dharma. IfI do not join them they shall kill me, you and our childrenand our parents.

His wife retorted It is better to die than live likeslaves to Adharma

Muka said My dear I do not have your guts

How could you think about killing Arjuna? Many speak ofhim as the ancient Rishi Nara, that great devotee of theLord with matted locks, our Aradhya, Lord Siva

I know dear that Arjuna is no ordinary mortal. Any one whois dear to that Yadhava Krishna can t be ordinary. Dont Inot know that Krishna is, Hari himself? Yet I shall do thisheinous act. Not because I think I shall succeed in harmingArjuna. But because I am sure that in the act I shall begratified by dying at the hands, of my own Istha

What are you saying my lord? said his wife, her eyeswidened in horror and voice choking in emotion.

Yes my love the time has come to rather die than live inthe path of Adharma. It is time to tell you the truth.

What truth?


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Arjuna would be involved in deep mediation on Lord Sivawhen I am supposed to attack him. Rishi Nara that he is,his mind would be completely absorbed in the Lord. How thencan I succeed in my attempt on his life? Lord did not spareeven Yama when Yama attempted to take Rishi Markandeyaslife, what to speak of a lowly asura such as myself? LordSiva that Maha Kala would surely and certainly appear andrelieve me from this curse of a life

His wife completely broke down, when she heard her lordspeak with such great resolve. Muka too could not hold backhis tears seeing the plight of his wife. He lifted her,hugged her against is rugged chest marked by several battlewounds and slowly but steadily spoke words of comfort. Hegave her a brief discourse on her Dharma and encouraged herto give her full attention and love to Lord Siva and DeviUma, once he is gone.

His parting words were Let us unite my love in our L ove ofthat God of True Love. Anything short of it is sheervanity.

With those words he had left behind the Danava realm, onceand for all.


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ACT 6: Kiraata Arjuna Yuddham!

Like a second Meru, Lord Siva appeared in front of Arjuna

as a Kiraata. That region suddenly blazed up in beauty, inconsequence of the arrival of the God of gods with thecompany of Divine Mother Uma. In fact Muka had earlierchosen that very moment to attack Arjuna. Muka had not seenLord Siva arrive with his retinue. He rushed towards atArjuna, with great force and also great hope that he shallbe delivered at Lord Sivas hands . The sounds of springs,and water-courses, and of birds suddenly ceased. In thatsilence Lord Siva as the Kiraata twanged his bow, as if toalert Arjuna of the imminent danger of Mukas charge . Thesound of this bow twang reverberated in the whole forest

and caused Arjuna s mind to flicker, which until then waslike a flame in a windless place.

Arjuna who stirred awake from his deep meditation quicklycame back to his senses and almost immediately sized up thesituation. His trained eyes, limbs and reflexes quicklyconverged on his bow and in a trice he shot an arrowtowards the charging Muka. Around the same time, another


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twang was heard. The Kiraata had already shot his arrowahead of Arjuna, towards Muka. Muka himself heard both thetwangs, and in great expectation looked in the direction ofthe Kiraata. There he saw not a Kiraata but the Lord of theUniverse Himself. Great was his joy and completely absentwas the pain of the arrow entering his frame. How fortunatewas Muka that he obtained Lord Siva s vision at just themoment of his death!

Even before Muka blinked twice he was stuck by two arrows.By the time his body halted on its track, Muka the Danava,escaped the transmigratory existence and merged into theGreat Cause, which took the form of a Kiraata, to bless Hisdevotees Muka and Arjuna.

Arjuna, despite being immersed in Tapas for this long, didnot require not more than a few seconds, to recover hisagility. This in itself was amazement to all those who sawhim.

But nothing surprises the Lord, who is beyond allsurprises. He just stood there smiling, a smile that wouldnot vanish for all afternoon that day. Arjuna too seemedamused by the Kiraata, whose form was as white as the holyashes Arjuna wore on his forehead. Arjuna was alsosurprised that the Kiraata was surrounded by a huge partyof women folk.

In his heart there arose a strange sensation of respect andawe which was very hard for him to understand, yet moreconsistent with his aristocratic upbringing, Arjunathundered at the Kiraata Who are you that wanders in thesesolitary woods, surrounded by women? Are you or your womenfolk not afraid of this terrible forest? Why did you shootthe Asura that was first aimed by me? The rules of huntingprohibit you from taking an aim at this animal, while I hadalready let loose my arrow. Explain your actions andapologize else you would not escape from me with life .

Meanwhile the Kiraata replied to Arjuna calmly, in a deepvoice that sounded heavenly This forest land in which youwere performing your prayers is our dwelling land. So weare the naturals and you are the outsider. Your arrogantspeech and your tender fame, seems to suggest you are ofroyal upbringing. Why have you oh tender one, chosen thissolitary place, far away from the regions of comfort?


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Arjuna fumed I am Arjuna s on of Kunti and Pandu, myteacher is Drona and I am from Kuru dynasty. Our kingdom isIndraprastha. Oh Kiraata I am famous among the worlds asthe best among those who could wield the bow

Kiraata laughed loudly, in reply Drona? Kunti? Arjuna? Ihave never heard of any of these names. How then could yoube famous? As regards you archery .what can I say? H ad itnot been for me, you would not be boasting right now in mypresence. This Rakshasa was first struck with the shaftfrom my bow and thus released from the mortal coil

Arjuna could take it no more. His blood boiled and faceturned red with anger at having being slighted by someunknown hunter. Deeming this Kiraata as one worthy of dyingat his hands, Arjuna thundered Prepare to face my wrath ohKiraata Saying such he let loose a sharp arrow at theKiraata.

Even as Arjuna shot the arrow some of the Devas who hadassembled to witness this battle that was about to unfold,were surprised. They talked between themselves, in the sky,unseen or unheard by Arjuna.

One Deva said How come Arjuna is suddenly so angry at theLord, who has come in the form of a Kiraata? We have beenseeing Arjuna, be deeply involved in Tapas for these pastfew months and inspite of all that he is suddenly angered.

I would have thought such austere Tapas, would have calmedhis mind to the core. Is it possible that his mediationwhen in Tapas was not mature enough? May be his Kshatriyatendencies are too deep rooted to be sublimated by hisTapas? How else can we explain, his aggressive reaction, atthe slightest provovation?!

Another Deva who stood near by explained All this is dueto Lords Maya. He has clouded Arjunas otherwise calmintellect with seeds of doubt and aggression. Else whywould son of Kunti, become so angry over a trivial issue,

especially after months of intense Tapas. The great Rishisof the Himalayas have attested to the genuity and sincerityof Arjunas Tapas, when they met the Lord at Kailasa. Whyelse would the Lord himself appear before Arjuna, if hisdevotion and meditation were not mature enough?

There is another reason too. Do you not remember that itwas foretold at the time of Arjunas birth itself that he


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shall engage in a battle with Lord Rudra? So to makeprediction come true, our Lord is enacting this leela.

Our Lord Sundareshwara is known for playing with hisdevotees and testing them in diverse ways. So whatever yousee below should not surprise you. Let us quietly enjoy theplay between Lord and his disciple, orchestrated by HisMaya

The speed of the arrow which Arjuna had shot was so greatthat all the leaves and dust that lay on the ground betweenthe Kiraata and Arjuna, rose in unison to track thetrajectory of the arrow. Had it been either Indra or anyother Deva or any other mortal, his head would have severedeven before the blink of an eye. But it was Lord Siva inthe form of Kiraata who stood up to Arjuna. The arrow didnothing more than strike the adamantine frame of theKiraata and it shattered into infinitesimally smallsmithereens that caused a rain of glittering metallicpieces, all around the Lord.

Arjuna was stunned but remained undaunted! MeanwhileKiraataa smilingly signaled his retinue, consisting ofDivine Mother Paarvathi, to step back. They all steppedback to clear the space and set the stage for a battle, thekind of which, was never before seen!

Arjuna shifted gears and launched high voltage offensive on

the Kiraata. Kiraata for most part either fended off thearrows or laughed or shot a few arrows himself that causednever before experienced blows to Arjuna. Kiraata it seemedintentionally did not escalate the battle but did justabout enough to keep Arjuna interested. Arjuna himselfwondered at this restraint shown by the Kiraata but hisanger had gotten the better of his discrimination and helet Gandeeva do all the talking. Just as the angry words ofthe talkative, cute little toddler fail to ruffle theequanimity of his grand father, a ll the talking Arjunasbow did, were bouncing of the Kiraata as though they were

thorn-less soft, flower petals. Indeed Arjuna without hisknowledge was worshipping Hara with his arrows and skill inarchery.

After seeing Arjunas dexterity in archery his speed,movement, precision and especially his ambidexterity,Kiraata approved of Arjunas skill with a loud roar andthen bent his bow and shot arrows at speeds that had never


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been clocked before. The Devas all of them togethergasped at the speed of the arrows which emanated fromPinaka Lords bow. Arjunas clothes were torn apart. HisGandeeva string was cut several times and each time Arjunaquickly tied them up. His arms and upper body was profuselybleeding from the wounds inflicted in this amazing displayof archery by the Kiraata. At one point of time, the wholeof Arjunas body was covered with arrows like ants coveringthe body of a dead elephant, except Arjuna was alive andeager to battle.

Kiraata thus proved to Arjunas dismay that Arjunasarchery skills were pedestrian at best, in comparison toKiraata s. So Arjuna decided to raise the level of thebattle from simple arrows to divine astras. He usedSthunakarna, Varuna, Salava, and Asmavarsha weapons. But ofno avail were all these astras that had proven to be usefuleven against the Devas. He nevertheless continued to assailHim profusely, showering divine shafts. But all shaftsmagically vanished once they approached the vicinity ofKiraata. Finally resolving that this opponent was worthy ofBrahmastra, Arjuna recalled to his mind that mostdevastating weapon of the yore.

With blazing light and fire and mystical shapes attendingit, the Brahmastra left the Gandeeva. Soon the wholefirmament and sky and eight cardinal points wereilluminated with the tejas of the prince among all astras .

The spectacle that was to follow was even more amazing.This astra which could consume all of the creation in atrice, did nothing more than circumambulate the Kiraata andvanish in his person.

Arjuna was wonderstruck! For the first time that afternoon,he paused in his tracks and wondered Could this be Indrao r Krishna or Rudra Himself?

Just when his mind was beginning to stop and think aboutthe miracle he just witnessed, the Lord confounded his mind

again with the following words - Oh Arjuna wonderful isyour archery and dexterity, yet how come you have managedto not even inflict the least amount of hurt on this poorhunter? Is this all your Drona taught you? I still give youa chance to apologize to me, so that we can prevent yourmother Kunti from crying over your dead mortal frame. Whatsay you, Oh powerful son of Pandu ?


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By referring to his parents and teachers Kiraata prickedArjuna s ego and Arjuna immediately lost his cool andresumed attacking the Kiraata. Soon his otherwiseinexhaustible quiver was empty. This startled him. Herecalled how Agni the Lord of Fire, while granting himthe bow and quiver spoke of their magnificence and how theywould never desert him in a warfield. But here it was emptyto the core! But Arjuna was undaunted. He would never giveup!

He ran towards the Kiraata and hit him on his forehead,with his Gandeeva. The Kiraata with smile always writ onhis face grabbed the bow and with a dismissive wave of hishand, made the bow disappear, like the Lord makes thecreation vanish at the time of Pralaya. Arjuna then drewhis sword and attempted to cut his opponent but the swordbroke into two, just as vain logic of the hedonist crumbleswhile arguing against the God realized mystic.

He then threw large rocks and trees trunks, at the Kiraataall of which the Kiraata playfully pushed aside or brokethem with his bare hands or threw them back at Arjuna. NextArjuna took to wrestling. The earth shook on account oftheir wrestling, the Devas and Rishis watched in awe. Theyall wondered what great merit Arjuna must have accumulatedto touch the very person of Lord Siva! While the rest ofthe audience was admiring the play, Arjuna was reelingunder the blows dealt by Lord Siva. Within a few minutes he

found himself biting dust on the forest floor, feeling thepain of his mangled body and limbs.

Arjuna was lying stunned and immobile on the forestground.Arjuna was worsted. He had lost in all his attempts,to overcome the Kiraata. The battle stopped.


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ACT 7: Arjuna obtains Pasupata

A huge roar of praise arose from the Kiraata s followers.Their Lord, who was in reality the Lord of the Universe,had humbled the Pandava. But the Kiraata raised his hand

and everyone became immediately silent.

Then, the Kiraata walked in a circle around Arjuna, all thewhile looking at him. Arjuna was lying flat on the ground,powerless to speak, let alone standup. He had never tasteddefeat in life and this defeat was beyond hiscomprehension. How did his divine bow Gandeeva vanish? Howdid his quiver become exhausted? Why did even theBrahmastra fail him? Who is this Kiraata, who evokes variedmixed emotions in him?

Kiraata knew all the turmoil that was going on in Arjunasmind. It was the Lords maya that engulphed Arjunas mind,which till the advent of Kiraata had been renderedtranqu il. Lords maya is had to overcome, except bysurrender to His lotus feet. No amount of Yoga or Tapas cansilence the mind, if the Lord does not will so. Otherwisewhy would Arjuna who had been performing such severe Tapasfor this long, lose his composure? How else would Arjunawhose health had wasted, on account of extreme fasting,suddenly obtain so much energy and preponderance of Rajoguna, so to engage himself in a battle with Umapathi? Is iteven possible for anyone to standup in battle to Tripurari?Yet Arjuna managed to engage the lord in battle. How elsewould this be possible, if not for Lords grace on Arjuna?

Kiraata broke the silence with these words WonderfulArjuna, Wonderful indeed is your battle skill. I have neverseen any body battle with such intensity and perseverance.You never gave up the battle. Now I definitely salute yourteacher Drona and your mother Kunti for having raised youas such. This much I can say, O Pandava, your perseveranceis commendable. Look at you, you can barely lift yourlimbs, why even move your finger, yet I can see how eager

you are to continue this fight.Since you are already beaten to pulp, I shall give you abreather. Take your time and do something that you thinkwill save you in this battle.

What is that one act, Oh Arjuna that shall save you now? Todo that one act, you have my permission


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The words and tone of the Kiraata assumed a differentnature to it. They immediately pierced Arju nas heart. Heclosed his eyes, while yet lying on the ground. Slowly hefound little energy, to crawl back to his abode under thetree; where few hours back, he had been performing intenseTapas. He took a deep breath and crawled towards a heap ofsand and clay which was by the side of the tree. All theheavenly residents and Rishis saw with mixed feelings, asto how this greatest warrior of his time is being dealtwith so harshly, by the compassionate husband of Uma. Yetthey all knew how fortunate Arjuna was to be givenexclusive attention by the Lord!

Slowly but steadily unmindful of the glances of the Kiraataand his retinue, Arjuna made a Siva Lingam from the clay.He picked up the flowers from the ground that fell from thetree, to offer them to Lord Siva while chanting thePanchakshari. He realized now how truly helpless he was.His lineage, archery, his past experience all were of noavail. He only had the Lord, God to rely upon. On adifferent time, he would have plucked fresh flowers fromthe tree itself, not ones lying on the ground, defiled bydirt. Yet here he was, physically unfit to get up, letalong to pluck fresh flowers from trees nearby. Hishelplessness to even worship Lord Siva properly, let alonefight the Kiraata, brought tears to his eyes. He wiped themoff . No more self - pity he said to himself and with singleminded devotion focused on obtaining Lord Siva s grace.

This was the one act; Arjuna knew will save him from theKiraata. He lost himself to Japa.

Time came to a halt.

Arjuna knew not how much time transpired since he closedhis eyes and chanted Lord Siva s name. But when it occurredto him that he should open it, he realized all his painvanished and new energy coursed through his veins.

With that new found energy he made a fresh garland of

flowers and offered them to the haloed image of the SivaLingam, he had earlier fashioned out of clay. He thenimmediately turned his attention to the Kiraata, who stoodthere smiling the same, as he had been all afternoon.

Arjuna had barely moved an inch, when he noticed the sameflower garland that he had offered on the Siva Lingam,adorning the Kiraata s head.


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How could it be?! he thought within himself and let out agasp! Arjuna knew it then!

Perhaps the Lord thought enough is enough, let me not toywith him a ny further or perhaps Devi Uma admonished herLord How could you do this that poor child of ours ? orperhaps Arjunas mind attained a great pre -ponderance ofSattva. Whatever be the Divine reason, a thought did dawnupon Arjunas now serene mind, that this Kiraata could beno one other than Lord Sankara Himself.

Arjuna thought Who else could it be but Lord Siva? I ofall the people...am getting the vision of Lord Siva!! Isthis even possible?! Am I really worthy o f Neelakantas vision or is this all some Divine delusion? What ever bethe case, I herewith abandon my wounded pride. I who am avotary of Lord Siva s devotees feets dust, shall approachthis Kiraata, as if approaching my Lord - Pinakapani

So thinking he folded his hands in deep respect and holdingback his tears with his throat clogged in emotion, heneared the Kiraata. Kiraata meanwhile abandoned hisnonchalant war mongering posture and assumed a more benignposture with his right hand raised, to pronounce protection(Abhaya hasta) and the bow he held earlier in his righthand, was now leaning against his left shoulder, while hisleft hand was stylishly placed on his left hip. Meanwhilethe Divine Mother, who had come to witness the battle, came

and stood by His side, also raising her right hand inAbhaya Hasta Mudra.

This sudden change in their gestures and postures, alongwith the divine smile they both sported, immediatelytouched Arjunas deepest devotional cord . Lords Maya whichhad till then covered Arjunas intellect vanished andArjunas mind was clear in its comprehension of what hadjust transpired. Arjuna knelt down in front of the divinecouple and said Prabhu Forgive me, Forgive me my Lord,Forgive me Mother, Forgive this impudent son of yours.

With these words Arjuna was on the ground, tears issuingout of his eyes in torrents and washing thereby, the everpure feet of the Primeval Parents. The feet, in search ofwhich Lord Vishnu had to assume the form of boar andpenetrate deep into the bowels of the earth, now, presenteditself in front of Arjuna.The Devas and Rishis who till then witnessed this mostextraorginary battle, rained flowers from the sky on the


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Lord Vishveshwara and his devotee Arjuna. Drums, Cymbalsand Conches were heard resoundingly in every direction.Indra, who was witnessing this battle from the heavens,closed his eyes in relief and joined his palms in a silentprayer to Mahadeva Lord of Devas, Asuras and Manavas.Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks proud at theachievement of his beloved son.

The Kiraata who was none other than Parameshwara spoke in avoice filled with affection O Phalguna, I am extremelypleased with your unparalleled valor and skill. There is noKshathriya who is equal to you in courage and perseverance.O pure minded son of Kunti, behold my Divine form, to seewhich you shall need special divine vision

So saying Lord Shankara granted Arjuna a special vision, byvirtue of which Arjuna beheld Lord Siva in a shiningglorious form, attended to by Ganesha, Karthikeya, Nandi,Bringi, Vishnu, Brahma and all Devas, Rishis, Pishachas,Manavas and Danavas. Seated on a bull with four hands, oneof which was holding the Thrishul, another of which a deer,another of which bestowing protection and the fourthgranting boons. By his left side was seated on the bull,was Jagadambha, the Divine Mother of the Universe, full ofbliss and over-flowing with waves of compassion, engulphingall directions.

The Lord then spoke You shall vanquish all your foes and

together with your brothers, shall enjoy the whole earth.You are dear to Krishna who is none other than Hari. He whois dear to Krishna is dear to me, for I and Krishna areverily one.

Arjuna listened to these awe inspiring words and in aresounding voice said forth the following words OKapardin, O chief of all gods, O destroyer of the eyes ofBhaga, O God of gods, O Mahadeva, O Neelakanta, OJatadhari, I know you to be the Cause of all causes. OTryambaka. O Parameshwara!

Thou art the refuge of all the gods! This universe hathsprung from you. Thou art Siva in the form of Vishnu, andVishnu in the form of Siva. Thy extent the whole of theVedas is unable to fathom. In its helplessness the Vedascry out Neti Neti


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Thou destroyed of old the great sacrifice of Daksha, whowas swollen with pride, despite being the son of Brahma. OHari, O Rudra, I bow to you. O Sarva, O thou that grants usthe objects of our desire, O Thrishuladaari, O Pinakin, OSurya, O Hiranyavarna, O Param Pita, I bow to you. OPasupathi, I worship you to obtain your grace. Thou art thelord of the Ganas, the source of universal blessing, theCause of the causes of the universe. Thou art beyond theforemost of male beings, and Mother Uma is the foremost ofthe women, thou art the highest, thou art verily my mother,father, Guru, friend and all my assets, thou art subtlerthan the subtlest and larger than the largest, O Hara! Oillustrious Sankara, it behooves you to pardon my fault. Itwas even to obtain a sight of yourself that I came to thisgreat mountain, in which you dwell with my mother Uma andall thy votaries. Thou art worshipped by all worlds, OLord; I worship you to obtain thy grace.

Let not this rashness of mine be regarded as a fault--thiscombat in which I was engaged with you out of ignorance.

O Sankara, I seek thy protection. Pardon me for all myactions

Pahimam Pahimam Sankara! Rakshamam Rakshamam Maheshwara!"

So saying Arjuna repeatedly fell on the ground and rolledin great devotion, as means of offering both his salutation

and absolving himself of all guilt.

Then the Great Lord of Kailasa, whose sign was the bull,taking Arjuna into His handsome embrace, smilingly repliedunto him, I had never taken offense at thy actions Jishnu.It was my Maya that forced your mind to say and do thingsthe way I wanted. So there is no question of forgivenessPartha. You are blameless. May great renown be attached toyou on the account of your battle with me!

By saying thus, Lord Hara took away any semblance of guilt

that might have plagued Arjunas heart and paved way forhim to ask his boon, without the least bit of hesitancy.

Mahadeva said, O son of Kunti, you were in your formerlife Rishi Nara, the friend of Narayana. In Badari, alongwith Narayana, you were engaged in fierce asceticausterities for several thousands of years. In you as wellas in Krishna who is none other than Narayana, there is


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great power manifested. Time and again you have bothincarnated in earth to uphold Dharma

Even this Gandeeva w hile saying so the Lord Maheshwarare-produced Gandeeva out of thin air, which He had earliermade vanish, when Arjuna used it to strike Him is thatbow, O son of Kunti fit for thy hands so saying He handedit to Arjuna.

The Lord Chandramouleshwara continued O foremost discipleof Drona, I snatched this great bow of yours, from you, bymy Maya. O son of Pandu, this arrow quiver given to you, byAgni, will again be inexhaustible. O Kaunteya, you will bevictorious in the Dharma Yuddha that shall take place atthe end of this term of exile By making mention to Kunti ,Pandu and Drona, Lord Siva acknowledged his lineage andtutelage, which he had apparently mocked at earlier.

O son of the Kuru race, your body will be free from painand disease. Your prowess is incapable of being baffled. Iam pleased with you. And, O first of male beings, ask of methe boon for which you were directed to me. Remember onemore thing Arjuna that not even in heaven is there any malebeing who is equal to you, nor any Kshathriya in this earthwho is your superior.

With these graceful compassionate loving words, Arjuna feltcompletely blessed. It took him a while to compose his

thoughts and articulate his words. Arjuna now put forth hisrequest to Lord Siva.

He said Hey Prabhu, My Lord, My Swami, My Shambhu, if youwill grant me my desire, I ask of you, O Lord that fiercecelestial weapon wielded by you that weapon of incredibleenergy, which under your control and sway destroys theuniverse at the end of the Yuga. With that weapon, O God ofgods O Mahadeva, I may under thy grace, obtain victory inthe terrible conflict which shall take place between myselfon one side and Karna, Bhishma, Kripa, Drona on the other

side.

O illustrious destroyer of the eyes of Bhaga, even this ismy foremost desire, that I may be able to fight Adharma andobtain success. Thus I may assist my righteous elderbrother to establish a righteous kingdom, in the world ofmen


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Bhava replied, O powerful one. I will give to you thatfavorite weapon of mine called the Pasupata. O son ofPandu, you are capable of handling the weapon completely. Alesser mortal can perhaps invoke it but not control it orperhaps invoke it and hurl it but not retract it. But withyou, I know that you can invoke, hurl, control, limit andwithdraw it as needed. Neither Indra, nor Yama, nor Kuberanor Varuna, nor Vayu, know of this weapon nor do the menwhom you mentioned. Beware however that this weapon shouldnot be hurled without adequate cause; for if hurled at anyfoe of little might it may destroy the whole universe. Inthe three worlds with all their mobile and immobilecreatures, there is none who is incapable of being slain bythis weapon. And it may be hurled by the mind, by the eye,by words, or by th e bow

After having introduced Arjuna to this weapon, Lord Sankarainvoked the missile Pasupata, which in a trice appeared bythe side of the Lord Tryambaka. The whole world, trees,oceans and all trembled, at the arrival of the Pasupata. Itshown with dazzling brightness and constantly emittedsparks of fire. The astra suddenly assumed thousand heads,thousand arms, a thousand tongues, and a thousand eyes. Itwas with this Pasupata that Shambhu in days of yore, burntand consumed in a moment, the triple city of the Asurasthat floated in the sky.

This weapon in its effulgence seemed to make the very Sun

appear as a fire fly! Arjuna at first could not even beholdit dazzling light, but by Mahadevas grace slowly came toglance at the weapon. With all his hair standing on itsend, Arjuna respectfully submitted to Lord Siva.

Lord Siva whispered without whispering that sacred mantrainto Arjunas mind, on the account of which the missileimmediately appeared also by Arjunas side. At the end ofthe mysterious initiation, Arjuna stood there like thesecond Rudra, with complete mastery over Pasupata.

Denizens of heaven were overwhelmed by the achievement ofArjuna, which came to pass, by the grace of Lord Siva andthey showered celestial flowers on both of them. Arjunafilled with gratitude and devotion, drank the beauty of thevision of Lord Sthanu and Divine Mother Parvati andrepeatedly prostrated himself on the ground.


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Lord Siva said Be Victorious Arjuna ! Now you shallapproach your father Indra and gain access to other divineweapons. And with those words the Lord of the Universe,along with Divine Mother and his retinue, vanished fromArjunas sight.

Arjuna was left there alone, and yet he knew he was notalone, for he knew the eternal divine parents of theuniverse Parvathi Parameshwaras blessings and the memoryof their vision would always be with him. His mind wasstill oozing delight onto every single pore of his body.This body which is contemptible from the standpoint ofphilosophy now attained holiness on account of beingtouched by Lord Siva.

Several moments passed and Arjuna remained unmoved from thevery spot where he last beheld Lord Siva and Mother Uma.His mind soaked in devotion to Maheshwara. Suddenly thefirmament was filled with divine light and he recognizedthat light to signify the arrival of deities led by Indrahimself. They all assembled in front of Arjuna to bless himwith divine weapons, as per Lord Trilokeshwaras assuranceto Arjuna. Each of the deities blessed Arjuna with theastra under their command. Arjuna on account of obtainingall the divine blessings, shone like another Sun on earth!

They all blessed him and left to their abodes.

After a while he looked to the west and saw the sunreluctantly approaching the horizon and in the processillumining the clear blue sky with varied hue of orange andpink. Arjuna slowly ambled along to the Siva Lingam; heworshipped earlier that afternoon and prostrated himselfbefore it.

All his worries were a thing of the past; he now understoodthat all that came to pass was verily due to Lords Maya .He also realized that which shall come to pass, is also dueto Lords Maya.

He was just another instrument in Paramathmas hands.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES

1. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa by Kisari Mohan Ganguli2. Mah bh rata : translated into English with original Sanskrit text according to

M.N. Dutt (9 Volumes)

3. The Mah bh rata by P Lal translator (Calcutta writers workshop)4. Mahabharata by C. Rajagopalachari (Bhavans publication)5. Mahabharata, a modern rendering by Ramesh Menon.6. Mahabharata by Amar Chitra Katha - 3 volume bumper issue7. Mahabharata by Kamala Subramaniam (Bhavans publications)8. Mahabharata by B.R Chopra TV Series (1988 1990)9. h ravi and Kir t rjun yam : a critical study by Saktipada Har 1983 (Calcutta :

Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar )10. Design and rhetoric in a Sanskrit court epic : the Kir t rjun ya of h ravi by

Indira Viswanathan 2003 - Albany : State University of New York Press.11. Andhra Mahabharatham Talks in Telugu by BrahmaShri Shriman Chaganti

Koteshwara Rao GaruAudio Link: -http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3

12. http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/ 13. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/
http://www.amazon.com/C.-Rajagopalachari/e/B00IZIQ9DQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3http://media.srichaganti.net/audio/Aranyaparvamu/058ARANYAPARVAMU13-03-2012.mp3http://www.amazon.com/C.-Rajagopalachari/e/B00IZIQ9DQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1


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Appendix: Arjuna Kruta Siva stotram

(from Andhra Mahabharatam)

. .

.


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(English Transliteration below)

SrIkaMTha lOkESa lOkOdbhavasthAnasaMhArakArI purArI murAri priyA

chaMdradhArI mahEMdrAdi bRMdArakAnaMdasaMdOhasaMdhAyi puNyasvarUpA

virUpAksha dakshAdhvaradhvaMsakA dEva nIdaiva tattvaMbu bhEdiMchi buddhiM bradhAnaMbu garmaMbu vij~nAna madhyAtmayOgaMbu sarva

kriyAkAraNaM baMchu nAnAprakAraMbula@n buddhimaMtul^ vichAriMchuchun

ninnu bhAviMtu rISAna sarvESvarA Sarva sarvaj~na sarvAtmakAnirvikalpa prabhAvA bhavAnIpatI

nIvu lOkatrayIvartanaMbun mahIvAyukhAtmAgni

sOmArkatOyaMbulaM jEsi kAviMchi saMsArachakra kriyAyaMtravAhuMDavai

tAdidEvA mahAdEva nityaMbu natyaMtayOgasthitin nirmalaj~nAnadIpa

prabhAjAla vidhvasta nissAra saMsAra mAyAMdhakArul^ jitakrOdha

rAgAdidOshul^ yatAtmul^ yatIMdrul^ bhavatpAda paMkEruhadhyAna

pIyUsha dhArAnubhUtin sadAtRptulai nityulai ravya yAbhavya sEvyAbhavA

bharga bhaTTArakA bhArgavAgastyakutsAdi

nAnAmunistOtradattAvadhAnA

lalATEkshaNOgrAgnibhasmIkRtAnaMga bhasmAnuliptAMga gaMgAdharA nI

prasAdaMbuna@n sarvagIrvANagaMdharvulun

siddhasAdhyOragEMdrA surEMdrAdulunSASvataiSvarya saMprAptulai rISvarA viSvakartA surAbhyarchitA nAku

nabhyarthitaMbul^ prasAdiMpu kAruNyamUrtI trilOkaikanAthA

namastE namastE nama@h.

idi bhaaratam lO arjanuDu Sivuni pai chEsina stOtram.nannayya gaari kalam lOnunDi idi ilaa Siva danDakam gaa jaaluvaarindi .

Reference: http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/
http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/http://suryasatya.wordpress.com/tag/arjuna-kruta-siva-stotram/


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Appendix: Relevant sections from Vana Parva(The Mahabharata in Sanskrit)Reference: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/

1.1.1 Book 3

Chapter 38

1 [ ]

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1 [vai]kasya cit tv atha k lasya dharmar jo

yudhihira sasmtya munisadeam ida

vacanam abrav t 2 vivikte viditaprajam arjuna

bharatarabham s ntvaprva smita ktv p in

parisaspan

3 sa muhrtam iva dhy tv vanav samaridama

dhanajaya dharmar jo rahas damuv ca ha

4 bh me droe kpe kare droaputre ca bh rata

dhanurveda catup da etev adya pratihita

5 br hma daivam sura ca saprayogacikitsitam

sarv str prayoga ca te 'bhij nanti

ktsnaa 6 te sarve dhtar rasya putrea

paris ntvit savibhakt ca tu ca guruvat teu

vartate7 sarvayodheu caiv sya sad vttir

anuttam akti na h payiyanti te k le

pratipjit 8 adya ceya mah ktsn duryodhana

va nug

tvayi vyap rayo 'sm ka tvayi bh rasam hita tatra ktya prapay mi pr ptak lam

aridama 9 kadvaip yan t t ta gh topanian

may tay prayuktay samyag jagat sarva

prak ate
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/


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10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

tena tva brahma t ta sayuktasusam hita

10 devat n yath k la pras da pratip laya

tapas yojay tm nam ugrea

bharatarabha 11 dhanum n kavac khadg munis rasamanvita

na kasya cid dadan m rga gacchat tottar diam

indre hy astr i divy ni samast nidhanajaya 12 vtr d bh tais tad devair balam indre

samarpitamt ny ekasth ni sarv i tatas tva

pratipatsyase

13 akram eva prapadyasva sa te 'str i pra d syati d kito 'dyaiva gaccha tva drau

deva puradaram 14 evam uktv dharmar jas tam

adhy payata prabhu d kita vidhin tena

yatav kk yam nasam anujaje tato v ra bhr t bhr taram

agraja 15 nide d dharmar jasya drau deva

pur adaram dhanur g vam d ya tath kayyaumaheudh 16 kavac satala tr o baddhagodh guli

trav n hutv gni br hma n nikai svasti

v cya mah bhuja 17 pr tihata mah b hu

pragh taar sana vadh ya dh rtar r

nivasyordhvam ud kya ca 18

ta dv tatra kaunteya pragh taar sanam abruvan br hma siddh bht ny

antarhit ni ca kipra pr pnuhi kaunteya manas yad

yad icchasi19 ta siham iva gacchanta

laskandhorum arjunam


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19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

man sy d ya sarve k vacanamabrav t 20 yat te kunt mah b ho j tasyaicchad

dhanajaya tat te 'stu sarva kaunteya y th ca

svayam icchasi21 m sm ka katriyakule janma ka cidav pnuy t

br hmaebhyo namo nitya ye yuddhe na j vik 22 nna te bhr tara sarve tvat kath bhi

praj gare rasyante v rakarm i k rtayanta

puna puna 23 naiva na p rtha bhogeu na dhane nota

j vite

tuir buddhir bhavitr v tvayid rghaprav sini 24 tvayi na p rtha sarve sukhadukhe

sam hite j vita maraa caiva r jyam aivaryam

eva capo me 'si kaunteya svasti pr pnuhi

p ava 25 namo dh tre vidh tre ca svasti gaccha hy

an mayam svasti te 'sv ntarikebhya

p rthivebhya ca bh rata divyebhya caiva bhtebhyo ye c nye paripanthina

26 tata pradakia ktv bhr tndhaumya ca p ava

pr tihata mah b hu praghya ruciradhanu 27 tasya m rg d ap kr man sarvabht ni

gacchata yuktasyaindrea yogena par kr ntasya

umia 28

so 'gacchat parvata puyam ek hnaivamah man manojava gatir bhtv yogayukto

yath nila 29 himavantam atikramya gandham danam

eva caatyakr mat sa durg i div r tram

atandrita


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29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

30 indra k la sam s dya tato 'tihaddhanajaya

antarike hi ur va tiheti sa vacas tad 31 tato 'payat savyas c vkamle

tapasvinam

br hmy riy d pyam na pigala jaila kam 32 so 'brav d arjuna tatra sthita dv

mah tap kas tva t teha sapr pto dhanum n

kavac ar nibaddh si talatr a katradharmam

anuvrata 33 neha astrea kartavya nt n m ayamlaya

vin takrodhahar br hma n

tapasvin m 34 neh sti dhanu k rya na sagr meakarhi cit

nikipaitad dhanus t ta pr pto 'si param gatim

35 ity anantaujasa v ra yath c nya pthagjanam

tath v canm ath bh ka br hmao'rjunam abrav t

na caina c lay m sa dhairy t sudhanicayam

36 tam uv ca tata pr ta sa dvija prahasann ivavara v va bhadra te akro 'ham

arisdana 37 evam ukta pratyuv ca sahasr ka

dhanajaya pr jali praato bhtv ra

kulakulodvaha 38 psito hy ea me k mo vara caina

prayaccha metvatto 'dya bhagavann astra ktsnam

icch mi veditum 39 pratyuv ca mahendras ta pr t tm prahasann iva

iha pr ptasya ki k ryam astrais tavadhanajaya

k m n v va lok ca pr pto 'si param gatim

40 evam ukta pratyuv ca sahasr ka


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39

40

41

42

43

44

45

dhanajaya na lok n na puna k m n na devatva

kuta sukham 41 na ca sarv maraivarya k maye

trida dhipa

bhr ts t n vipine tyaktv vairamapratiy t ya caak rti sarvalokeu gaccheya vat

sam 42 evam ukta pratyuv ca vtrah

p unandanam s ntvaya lakay v c

sarvalokanamaskta 43 yad drakyasi bhtea tryaka

ladhara ivam tad d t smi te t ta divy ny astr i

sarvaa 44 kriyat darane yatno devasya paramehina

daran t tasya kaunteya sasiddhasvargam eyasi 45 ity uktv phalguna akro

jag m darana tata arjuno 'py atha tatraiva tasthau

yogasamanvita


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1.1.2 Book 3Chapter 39

1 [ ]

arjuna and lord shiva (in vana parva)

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