03.041
Pancharatra: Girisha grants Arjuna the weapon known as Pashupata, also called brahmashira.
bhagavān uvāca॥
The Blessed One said.
naras tvaṃ pūrvadehe vai nārāyaṇasahāyavān। badaryāṃ taptavān ugraṃ tapo varṣāyutān bahūn ॥3-41-1॥
In your previous birth, you were a man who, with Nārāyaṇa as your companion, performed severe austerities in Badarī for many tens of thousands of years. (3-41-1)
tvayi vā paramaṃ tejo viṣṇau vā puruṣottame। yuvābhyāṃ puruṣāgryābhyāṃ tejasā dhāryate jagat ॥3-41-2॥
Whether in you or in Viṣṇu, the supreme person, it is by the splendor of you both, the foremost among men, that the world is sustained. (3-41-2)
śakrābhiṣeke sumahaddhanurjaladanisvanam। pragṛhya dānavāḥ śastāstvayā kṛṣṇena ca prabho ॥3-41-3॥
O lord, at the anointing of Indra, you and Kṛṣṇa, having taken up the mighty bow that sounded like a thundercloud, destroyed the Dānavas. (3-41-3)
etattadeva gāṇḍīvaṃ tava pārtha karocitam। māyāmāsthāya yadgrastaṃ mayā puruṣasattama ॥ tūṇau cāpyakṣayau bhūyastava pārtha yathocitau ॥3-41-4॥
This is indeed your Gandiva, O Partha, restored as it should be. By resorting to illusion, it was seized by me, O best of men. The quivers and the inexhaustible bow are again yours, O Partha, as is proper. (3-41-4)
prītimānasmi vai pārtha tava satyaparākrama। gṛhāṇa varamasmattaḥ kāṅkṣitaṃ yannarārṣabha ॥3-41-5॥
O son of Pṛthā, truly valorous, I am indeed affectionate towards you; O bull among men, accept from me the boon you desire. (3-41-5)
na tvayā sadṛśaḥ kaścit pumān martyeṣu mānada। divi vā vidyate kṣatraṃ tvat-pradhānam ariṃdama ॥3-41-6॥
O giver of honor, among mortals there is no man equal to you; nor is there, even in heaven, a kṣatriya with you as chief, O destroyer of enemies. (3-41-6)
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said.
bhagavandadāsi cenmahyaṁ kāmaṁ prītyā vṛṣadhvaja। kāmaye divyam astraṁ tad ghoram pāśupataṁ prabho ॥3-41-7॥
O Lord, if you are pleased to grant me a boon with affection, O bull-bannered one, I desire that divine and terrible Pāśupata weapon, O master. (3-41-7)
yattadbrahmaśiro nāma raudraṃ bhīmaparākramam। yugānte dāruṇe prāpte kṛtsnaṃ saṃharate jagat ॥3-41-8॥
That which is called the Brahmaśiras, terrible and of fearful prowess, destroys the entire world when the fierce end of the age arrives. (3-41-8)
daheyaṃ yena saṅgrāme dānavānrākṣasāṃstathā। bhūtāni ca piśācāṃśca gandharvānatha pannagān ॥3-41-9॥
By which I may burn in battle the Dānavas, Rākṣasas, beings, Piśācas, Gandharvas, and serpents. (3-41-9)
yataḥ śūlasahasrāṇi gadāś cogra-pradarśanāḥ। śarāś cāśīviṣākārāḥ sambhavanty anumātritāḥ ॥3-41-10॥
From him, thousands of spears, maces of fierce appearance, and arrows shaped like venomous serpents arise, all empowered by mantras. (3-41-10)
yudhye yaṁ yena bhīṣmeṇa droṇena ca kṛpeṇa ca। sūtaputreṇa ca raṇe nityaṁ kaṭukabhāṣiṇā ॥3-41-11॥
I would fight with anyone by whom Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa, and the son of the charioteer, who always speaks harshly in battle, are present. (3-41-11)
eṣa me prathamaḥ kāmo bhagavan-bhaganetrahan। tvat-prasādād vinirvṛttaḥ samarthaḥ syām ahaṃ yathā ॥3-41-12॥
O Lord, destroyer of Bhaga's eye, this is my first desire: by your grace, may I be fulfilled and capable as I wish. (3-41-12)
bhagavān uvāca॥
The Blessed Lord said.
dadāni te'straṃ dayitam ahaṃ pāśupataṃ mahat। samartho dhāraṇe mokṣe saṃhāre cāpi pāṇḍava ॥3-41-13॥
O Pāṇḍava, I give you the beloved great Pāśupata weapon, which is capable of being held, released, and withdrawn.
naitadveda mahendro'pi na yamo na ca yakṣarāṭ। varuṇo vātha vā vāyuḥ kuto vetsyanti mānavāḥ ॥3-41-14॥
Even the great Indra does not know this, nor Yama, nor the king of the Yakṣas; neither Varuṇa nor Vāyu—so how could humans possibly know? (3-41-14)
na tv etat sahasā pārtha moktavyaṃ puruṣe kvacit। jagad vinirdahyet sarvam alpa-tejasi pātitam ॥3-41-15॥
But, O Pārtha, this should never be spoken suddenly to any person; for if it is imparted to one of little energy, the entire world, having fallen, might be completely destroyed. (3-41-15)
avadhyo nāma nāsty asya trailokye sacarācare। manasā cakṣuṣā vācā dhanuṣā ca nipātyate ॥3-41-16॥
He is indeed not to be slain; in the three worlds, among all moving and unmoving beings, he cannot be struck down by mind, by eye, by speech, or by bow. (3-41-16)
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tacchrutvā tvaritaḥ pārthaḥ śucirbhūtvā samāhitaḥ। upasaṅgṛhya viśveśam adhīṣveti ca so'bravīt ॥3-41-17॥
Having heard that, the quick Pārtha (Arjuna), after purifying himself and collecting his mind, approached the Lord of the universe and said, "Recite." (3-41-17)
tatastv adhyāpayām āsa sarahasya nivartanam। tad astraṃ pāṇḍava-śreṣṭhaṃ mūrtimantam ivāntakam ॥3-41-18॥
Then he taught you the secret of withdrawal; that missile, O best of the Pāṇḍavas, was embodied like the destroyer. (3-41-18)
upatasthe mahātmānaṃ yathā tryakṣam umāpatim। pratijagrāha tac cāpi prītimān arjunaḥ tadā ॥3-41-19॥
He approached the great-souled one as one would approach the three-eyed lord, Umā's consort. Arjuna, full of joy, then received that as well. (3-41-19)
tataś cacāla pṛthivī sa-parvata-vana-drumā। sa-sāgara-vana-uddeśā sa-grāma-nagara-ākarā ॥3-41-20॥
Then the earth, along with its mountains, forests, and trees, together with its oceans, forest regions, villages, and cities, shook. (3-41-20)
śaṅkhadundubhighoṣāś ca bherīṇāṃ ca sahasraśaḥ। tasmin muhūrte samprāpte nirghātaś ca mahān abhūt ॥3-41-21॥
At that very moment, the sounds of conches, drums, and thousands of kettledrums arose, and a great thunderclap occurred. (3-41-21)
athāstraṃ jājvaladghoraṃ pāṇḍavasyāmitaujasaḥ। mūrtimadviṣṭhitaṃ pārśve dadṛśurdevadānavāḥ ॥3-41-22॥
Then the gods and demons saw the blazing, terrible missile of the Pāṇḍava of immeasurable energy, embodied and standing at his side. (3-41-22)
spṛṣṭasya ca tryambakena phalgunasya amitaujasaḥ। yatkiñcidaśubhaṃ dehe tatsarvaṃ nāśameyivat ॥3-41-23॥
Whatever inauspiciousness was present in the body of Phalguna of immeasurable energy, touched by Tryambaka, all of that was destroyed. (3-41-23)
svargaṃ gacchetyanujñātas tryambakena tadārjunaḥ। praṇamya śirasā pārthaḥ prāñjalir devam aikṣata ॥3-41-24॥
Having been permitted by Tryambaka with the words "Go to heaven," then Arjuna, Pārtha, having bowed his head and with joined palms, looked at the god. (3-41-24)
tataḥ prabhus tridiva-nivāsināṃ vaśī; mahāmatis giriśa umāpatiḥ śivaḥ. dhanur mahad ditija-piśāca-sūdanam; dadau bhavaḥ puruṣavarāya gāṇḍivam ॥3-41-25॥
Then the lord Śiva, the great-minded controller of the residents of heaven, lord of the mountains and husband of Umā, gave the great bow Gāṇḍīva, the destroyer of demons and spirits, to the best of men. (3-41-25)
tataḥ śubhaṃ girivaram īśvaras tadā; sahomayā sitataṭa-sānu-kandaram. vihāya taṃ pataga-maharṣi-sevitam; jagāma khaṃ puruṣavarasya paśyataḥ ॥3-41-26॥
Then the lord, together with Umā, left the auspicious excellent mountain with its white-banked peaks and caves, which was frequented by birds and great sages, and ascended into the sky as the best of men looked on. (3-41-26)
