Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 18
Paraśurāma, Kārtavīryārjuna, and the Kāmadhenu Offense
with Lunar-line Genealogy to Gādhi and Jamadagni
श्रीबादरायणिरुवाच हैहयानामधिपतिरर्जुन: क्षत्रियर्षभ: । दत्तं नारायणांशांशमाराध्य परिकर्मभि: ॥ १७ ॥ बाहून् दशशतं लेभे दुर्धर्षत्वमरातिषु । अव्याहतेन्द्रियौज:श्रीतेजोवीर्ययशोबलम् ॥ १८ ॥ योगेश्वरत्वमैश्वर्यं गुणा यत्राणिमादय: । चचाराव्याहतगतिर्लोकेषु पवनो यथा ॥ १९ ॥
śrī-bādarāyaṇir uvāca haihayānām adhipatir arjunaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhaḥ dattaṁ nārāyaṇāṁśāṁśam ārādhya parikarmabhiḥ
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The best of the kṣatriyas, Kārtavīryārjuna, the King of the Haihayas, received one thousand arms by worshiping Dattātreya, the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa. He also became undefeatable by enemies and received unobstructed sensory power, beauty, influence, strength, fame and the mystic power by which to achieve all the perfections of yoga, such as aṇimā and laghimā. Thus having become fully opulent, he roamed all over the universe without opposition, just like the wind.
FAQs
This verse identifies Dattātreya as nārāyaṇāṁśāṁśa—an expansion of Lord Nārāyaṇa—whom Kārtavīrya Arjuna worshiped.
He gained greatness by worshiping Dattātreya with dedicated service and proper spiritual practices (parikarmabhiḥ), implying divine favor as the source of his later powers.
It points to steady devotion expressed through disciplined practice—regular prayer, self-control, and sincere service—rather than seeking power for its own sake.