Shloka 49
Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness
Nivātakavaca engagement
प्रणम्य मनसा शर्व ततो वचनमाददे । भगवान् मे प्रसन्नश्वेदीप्सितो5यं वरो मम
praṇamya manasā śarva tato vacanam ādade | bhagavān me prasannaś ced īpsito 'yaṃ varo mama |
মনে মনে শর্ব (শিব)কে প্রণাম করে আমি বললাম—“যদি ভগবান আমার প্রতি প্রসন্ন হন, তবে এই বরই আমার অভীষ্ট: দেবতাদের নিকট রক্ষিত যে দিব্যাস্ত্রসমূহ আছে, আমি সেগুলি সকলই জানতে ও লাভ করতে চাই।”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Extraordinary power (such as divine weapons) is portrayed as legitimate only when sought with reverence, restraint, and right intention. Arjuna does not demand power for ego; he petitions through devotion and receives it as a sanctioned responsibility, implying that strength must be ethically grounded and accountable to dharma.
After mentally bowing to Śiva (Śarva), Arjuna states his desired boon: to know and obtain the celestial weapons possessed by the gods. Śiva, pleased, responds by granting him the boon of acquiring all divine astras, preparing Arjuna for the coming conflict.