03.163
Vaiśampāyana said.
When Indra had gone, Arjuna, having gathered together with his brothers and also with Draupadī, honored Yudhiṣṭhira. (03-163-1)
But, smelling the head of the saluting Pāṇḍava, his voice choked with joy, delighted, he spoke to Arjuna. (03-163-2)
How, Arjuna, did this period in heaven pass for you? And how did you obtain the weapons, and was the king of gods pleased? (03-163-3)
O Bhārata, have you properly received the weapons? Is the lord of gods pleased, and has Rudra given you the weapons? (03-163-4)
As Indra was seen by you, as the blessed Lord or the wielder of Pināka, as the weapons were obtained, and as he was worshipped by you. (03-163-5)
O destroyer of enemies, as you have said, the venerable Śatakratu (Indra) had his wish fulfilled by you. What dear thing did you do for him? This I wish to hear in detail, O greatly radiant one. (03-163-6)
O Dhanañjaya, tell me entirely how Mahādeva and the king of gods were pleased with you, O sinless one, and also what dear act was done to you by the wielder of the thunderbolt, O subduer of foes. (03-163-7)
Arjuna said;
O great king, listen indeed—by the means by which I saw Indra, the god, the blessed one, and Śaṅkara. (03-163-8)
O king, O destroyer of enemies, having studied that knowledge spoken by you and instructed by you, (he) departed to the forest for performing austerities. (03-163-9)
After going to Bhṛgutunga from Kāmyaka and undertaking austerities, having stayed there for one night, I saw a certain Brāhmaṇa on the path. (03-163-10)
He asked me, O son of Kunti, "Where are you going? Tell me." To him, O delight of the Kurus, I spoke everything truthfully. (03-163-11)
O best of kings, when the Brahmin heard that truth of mine, he honored me and became pleased with me. (03-163-12)
Then, being pleased, he said to me, "O Bharata, undertake austerity. As an ascetic, you will soon see the lord of the gods." (03-163-13)
Then, O great king, following his instruction, I ascended the Śaiśira mountain and performed austerities for a month, subsisting on roots and fruits. (03-163-14)
And my second month also passed while I was living on water. Then, in the third month, O joy of the Pāṇḍavas, I was without food. (03-163-15)
With raised arms, I stood then for the fourth month; and yet my life was not diminished—that seemed like a wonder. (03-163-16)
When the fourth (day) had come, after the first day had passed, a being in the form of a boar approached me. (03-163-17)
He struck the earth with his snout, scratched it with his feet, swept the ground with his belly, and rolled about over and over again. (03-163-18)
After him, then there appeared another great being, situated among hunters, furnished with bow, arrow, and sword, attended by a group of women. (03-163-19)
Then I took my bow, and, in that manner, the two inexhaustible great arrows, and struck that terrifying being with an arrow. (03-163-20)
At the same instant, that Kirāta pulled back the strong bow and struck with such force that it seemed as if my mind itself was shaken. (03-163-21)
But he said to me, "O king, having abandoned the righteous duty of hunting, for what reason have you struck my former possession by you?" (03-163-22)
I shall strike down your pride with these sharp arrows; stand firm. Then that mighty and large-bodied one rushed at me. (03-163-23)
Then he covered me with great arrows, just as one might cover a mountain; and I too covered him with a great shower of arrows. (03-163-24)
Then I pierced him with blazing, feathered arrows consecrated with incantations, but it was like hurling vajras at a rocky mountain. (03-163-25)
His form split into a hundred and then a thousand; and I struck those bodies of his with arrows. (03-163-26)
Once again, O Bhārata, those united bodies became visible, O great king; and I scattered them again. (03-163-27)
Having first become small with a large head, and then again with a large and then small head, he then became unified and, O king, he approached me in battle. (03-163-28)
O bull among the Bharatas, when I was not able to overcome him in battle with arrows, then I employed the wind weapon.
I was not able to kill him, which seemed truly wondrous. And when that missile was repelled, great astonishment arose in me. (03-163-30)
O great king, then once again I especially covered the being in battle with a great multitude of missiles. (03-163-31)
I took up a network formed of pillars and ears, a shower of arrows thick with shafts, the missile of mountains and a rain of stones, and then I advanced. But laughing, he devoured all those missiles of mine, O sinless one. (03-163-32)
When all those (forces) had become pacified, I commanded the Brahmāstra. Then, caused by the blazing arrows on all sides, it expanded. Increasing further by my use of the great weapon, it grew. (3-163-33)
Then the world was afflicted by the radiance arising from me; in an instant, indeed, all the directions and the sky everywhere were completely illuminated. (03-163-34)
That weapon too, the one of great brilliance, he neutralized in a moment. But when the Brahmāstra was destroyed, O king, great fear took hold of me. (03-163-35)
Then, having taken my bow and the two inexhaustible great arrows, I suddenly struck the being; it devoured even those weapons. (03-163-36)
After all the missile weapons were destroyed and all the conventional arms were consumed, hand-to-hand combat took place between myself and that being. (03-163-37)
Having exercised with fists and struck also with his palms, he caused that being to fall; I, being motionless, indeed fell to the ground. (3-163-38)
Then, O great king, while I was watching, that marvelous being, along with the women, laughed aloud and vanished right there before my eyes. (03-163-39)
Thus having done, he, the illustrious one, then assumed another form of himself, indeed divine, O great king, wearing a wonderful garment. (03-163-40)
Having abandoned the form of a Kirāta, the Divine Lord, ruler of the gods, assumed his own divine form and stood there, the Great Lord. (03-163-41)
Then there appeared directly before them the illustrious Lord Śiva, whose banner bears the bull, accompanied by Umā, possessing tawny eyes and many forms, the bearer of Pināka. (03-163-42)
He approached me on the battlefield, facing me as before and standing; then Śiva, holding the spear, said, 'I am pleased,' O scorcher of foes. (03-163-43)
Then, having taken that bow and the two inexhaustible quivers of arrows, the venerable one gave them to me and said, "Choose a boon." (03-163-44)
I am pleased with you, O son of Kunti. Tell me, what shall I do for you? O hero, whatever is in your mind, say that and I shall grant it. Setting aside immortality, tell me what is in your mind. (03-163-45)
Then, with joined palms and mind absorbed in the missiles, I bowed my head to Śarva (Śiva) and then spoke these words. (03-163-46)
If the Blessed One is gracious to me, let this desired boon be mine: I wish to know the weapons, whichever exist among the gods. Tryambaka, the Blessed One, said to me, "I will indeed give (them)." (03-163-47)
O Pāṇḍava, my Rudra's missile will be given to you. And the Lord, being pleased, gave me the Pāśupata missile. (03-163-48)
Mahadeva, after giving me the eternal weapon, said: "This must never be used among humans in any way." (03-163-49)
O Dhananjaya, when being assailed, you should forcefully employ it for the repelling of weapons, and in every way you should use it. (03-163-50)
That unimpeded divine form, which prevents all weapons, embodied, is present at my side, in the gracious Govṛṣadhvaja (Śiva). (03-163-51)
Destruction of enemies and the cutting down of hostile armies—this act is something hard to overcome and impossible to ridicule, even by the gods, demons, or rākṣasas. (03-163-52)
Then, having been permitted by him, I sat down right there. While I was watching, my deity disappeared on the spot. (03-163-53)
