Shloka 52
Kailāsa-darśana, Badarī-vāsa, and Sarasvatī–Dvaitavana Transition (कैलासदर्शन–बदरीवास–सरस्वतीद्वैतवनगमनम्)
महाराज! मृग, सिंह, व्याप्र, रीछ, भैंस, नाग, गौ, शरभ, हाथी, वानर, बैल, सूअर, बिलाव, भेड़िये, प्रेत, मुरुण्ड, गिद्ध, गरुड, चमरी गाय, देवता, ऋषि, गन्धर्व, पिशाच, यक्ष, देवद्रोही राक्षस, गुह्मक, निशाचर, मत्स्य, गजमुख, उल्लू, मीन तथा अभश्व-जैसे रूपवाले नाना प्रकारके जीवोंका प्रादुर्भाव हुआ। उन सबके हाथमें भाँति-भाँतिके अस्त्र-शस्त्र एवं खड्ग थे। इसी प्रकार गदा और मुद्गर धारण किये बहुत-से यातुधान भी प्रकट हुए ।। ४६ “५३९ || एतैश्वान्यैश्व बहुभि्नानारूपधरैस्तथा सर्वमासीज्जगद् व्याप्तं तस्मिन्नस्त्रे विसर्जिते,इन सबके साथ दूसरे भी बहुत-से जीवोंका प्राकट्य हुआ, जिन्होंने नाना प्रकारके रूप धारण कर रखे थे। उन सबके द्वारा यह सारा जगत् व्याप्त-सा हो गया था। पाशुपतास्त्रका प्रयोग होते ही कोई तीन मस्तक, कोई चार दाढ़ें, कोई चार मुख और कोई चार भुजावाले अनेक रूपधारी प्राणी प्रकट हुए, जो मांस, मेदा, वसा और हलड्ियोंसे संयुक्त थे
arjuna uvāca | mahārāja! mṛga-siṁha-vyāghra-ṛkṣa-mahiṣa-nāga-go-śarabha-hastī-vānara-vṛṣabha-varāha-mārjāra-vṛka-preta-muruṇḍa-gṛdhra-garuḍa-cāmarī-go-devatā-ṛṣi-gandharva-piśāca-yakṣa-devadrohī-rākṣasa-guhyaka-niśācara-matsya-gajamukha-ulūka-mīna tathā aśva-sadṛśa-rūpavantaḥ nānāvidhā jīvāḥ prādurabhavan | teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ hasteṣu nānāvidhāni astrāṇi śastrāṇi khaḍgāś ca āsan | tathā gadā-mudgaradhāriṇaḥ bahavaḥ yātudhānā api prādurabhavan | etaiś ca anyaiś ca bahubhiḥ nānā-rūpa-dharaiḥ sarvaṁ jagat tasminn astre visarjite vyāptam iva abhavat |
Arjuna said: “O great king! At the discharge of that weapon, countless beings of many kinds came forth—taking the forms of deer, lions, tigers, bears, buffaloes, serpents, cattle, śarabhas, elephants, monkeys, bulls, boars, cats, wolves, ghosts, muruṇḍas, vultures, Garuḍas, yak-tailed cattle, gods, seers, Gandharvas, Piśācas, Yakṣas, god-hating Rākṣasas, Guhyakas, night-roamers, fish, elephant-faced creatures, owls, and fish again, and even horse-like shapes. In the hands of all of them were various weapons—arms, missiles, and swords; and many Yātudhānas appeared as well, bearing clubs and mallets. Along with these and many other shape-shifting forms, the whole world seemed filled and overrun the moment that weapon was released. The scene conveys the terrifying, world-pervading force of divine weaponry and implicitly warns that such power, once invoked, overwhelms all boundaries and must be governed by restraint and dharma.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage underscores that mantra-empowered divine weapons are not merely tools of battle but forces that can flood the world with uncontrollable, terrifying manifestations. Ethically, it implies that such power must be invoked only under strict dharmic necessity and with mastery of restraint, because its effects exceed ordinary human limits.
Arjuna narrates to the king how, upon the release of a mighty weapon (contextually the Pāśupata-astra), innumerable beings of diverse forms—animals, spirits, celestial classes, and demonic entities—suddenly appear, all armed, so that the world seems entirely pervaded by them. The description emphasizes the weapon’s awe-inspiring and dreadful potency.